Water is the most basic human right. But right now, 7 million people in Kabul, Afghanistan, are facing an unimaginable crisis: they're rapidly running out of drinking water.
Experts fear Kabul could be the first modern city to completely run dry by 2030.Nearly half of the city's main water sources, boreholes to access ground water, have dried up. Aquifers' water levels have fallen rapidly over the past decade due to climate change and the massive boom in urbanisation in the area.
On top of this scarcity is the issue of contamination.
80% of Kabul's water is not safe to drink -- specifically because of sewage and arsenic! As a result, families across Kabul have been suffering immensely. Sign the petition and demand that the United States lead the global effort to help Kabul!People in the city have
literally gone into debt trying to buy water for themselves and their families.
To make matters worse, private,
for-profit companies are exploiting this desperation by digging their own wells to suck up exorbitant amounts of water -- just to sell it to struggling people at inflated prices.
Without urgent action, the city's population will face
devastating health impacts, poverty, and forced migration, worsening an already dire humanitarian situation.
Yet, despite this looming catastrophe, international funding and support have been drastically derailed,
leaving Kabul's residents abandoned. Instability in the region, climate change, and massive cuts to USAID (United States Agency for International Development) funding mean that progress towards long term solutions has stalled.
We cannot let politics overshadow human lives. The international community must step up immediately and provide aid to help build the water infrastructure Kabul desperately needs to keep its residents safe and healthy. The climate crisis is only going to make critical situations like the one in Kabul worse. If we do not, as a global community, respond with strength and compassion now, we face a grim future for many more people.
Sign this petition today and join us in urging Marco Rubio, acting administrator of the United States Agency for International Development, to set a strong precedent by providing financial support and humanitarian aid to Kabul!