Clean Drinking Water Secured for Vulnerable Villagers in Afghanistan by Life for Relief and Development USA (LIFE)’s Water Well Projects

Access to water is one of the core aspects of life that most of humanity takes for granted. However, when you experience life without this guarantee, the true value and quality that water adds to one’s life becomes utterly immeasurable.  

Impacting all aspects of life, from maintaining basic and essential bodily functions to preventing illnesses and cleaning one’s abode and belongings, clean water is a powerful elixir that, sadly, is not accessible to many around the world.  

 For about 72% of the population in Afghanistan, clean drinking water is not something that is readily available. The water, sanitation, and hygiene situation in the country is so dire that it has been recognized as a top humanitarian priority.  

Unfortunately, this is an issue facing households and establishments alike. Not only do an estimated 33 million people face severe water shortages across Afghanistan, but as of 2023, 717 million healthcare facilities function without basic water services.  

The extreme lack of water security facing the nation has a profound impact on all, especially the most vulnerable members of society. Preventable water-borne illnesses, such as diarrheal disease, claim the lives of numerous children under the age of five.  

As Afghanistan struggles with high child mortality rates, a lack of access to water forces these same vulnerable children into taking on early roles of responsibility to fetch water for their families. Burdened with this time-consuming and exhausting daily task, many children sacrifice any potential education they could receive to instead invest their efforts into helping their families survive.  

As for the water that children traverse long distances for, often the water retrieved is contaminated and unfit for human consumption. Searching for water sources in ditches, rivers and other natural reservoirs, it is common that the only water available to many villagers is muddy, dirty, and can even contain animal waste.  

To support families struggling with water insecurity, Life for Relief and Development USA (LIFE) constructed two water wells from August 12 to August 23, 2025, in the villages of Bar Khail Kaly and Ghakh Kaly, Nangarhar, Afghanistan. Directly serving 105 and 133 beneficiaries, respectively, LIFE’s well projects impacted the lives of a total of 34 families living in remote villages.  

The impact these wells have had on the recipient communities has been transformational. With women and children especially burdened with water-related responsibilities, their lives have immediately become easier and safer.  

One resident of Ghakh Kaly village, Ziarat Gul, recognizes how much sacrifice was expected of the young children, as he shares: “Instead of giving our children pens and notebooks, we had to give them small containers every day to fetch water from the ditches. Our children missed out on the joys of childhood. We are grateful to LIFE for helping us and showing us the true value of our lives and the lives of our children.” 

Your donations and LIFE’s water well projects provided beneficiaries with a sense of dignity that had otherwise been lost. A villager from Bar Khail Kaly expressed deep gratitude to the donors and LIFE’s staff for not only providing a clean water source for his community, but also for protecting their women and children. He reveals the impact it has had on his family: “One day, while walking over three kilometers to fetch clean water, my mother slipped on a rock and broke her leg. My sister waited for hours by her side for help, but unfortunately, no one passed by until we finally went to find them.”  

Thanks to these water wells and your generosity, isolated families living in remote villages must no longer risk their health, well-being, and education to secure a source of water. As fresh, clean water now spouts near their homes, these beneficiaries look onto the promise of a bigger and brighter future for their communities.