For families across rural Afghanistan, clean water is not available at the turn of a tap.

Years of conflict, worsening drought, flash floods, and escalating climate shocks have left millions — nearly 1 in 3 people — without reliable access to safe water. 

Every day, parents and children walk long distances to collect water that is often unsafe to drink. Wells are running dry. Crops are failing. Livelihoods are disappearing.

The 2025 drought — one of the worst in a decade — pushed already vulnerable communities to the brink. With harvests lost and incomes wiped out, families are now being forced to make impossible choices between feeding their children, protecting their health or earning the income they need to survive.

Today, Afghanistan is facing one of the world's most severe humanitarian crises. An estimated 21.9 million people need humanitarian assistance, and 3.7 million children are suffering from acute malnutrition. 

But there is hope: clean water can change everything

When families have access to a reliable source of water, children are healthier, crops can grow and yields improve, and communities become more resilient to future shocks. Water protects lives today while helping families build the foundations for a more secure future.

With your support, we can bring safe, sustainable water to communities that need it most, helping families survive this crisis and create lasting change for generations to come. And, thanks to match funding, every donation made will be doubled, meaning we can reach twice as many people.

start with water, Change everything: Double your donation

When water runs out, everything suffers

The consequences are far-reaching:

• Crops fail, reducing food production and threatening livelihoods
• Families lose vital sources of income
• Children miss out on education
• Waterborne diseases and illness spread more easily
• Hunger and malnutrition increase

When access to water is lost, every aspect of daily life becomes more difficult.

Without urgent action, communities will be pushed further into crisis, facing greater risks of hunger, poor health, the spread of disease, and the loss of their livelihoods.

But this problem is solvable, and you can help

By establishing village-wide water systems, including wells, water pumps and check dams, entire communities can gain reliable access to safe water close to home.

Water changes everything: from health and nutrition to harvests and livelihoods.

These systems do more than provide water. They help families stay healthy, support farmers to grow more food, and free up time for children to learn and families to build livelihoods. And with irrigation systems, water storage facilities and climate-smart solutions, communities can better manage water throughout the year, protecting crops during dry periods and reducing the impact of flash floods.

Built alongside local communities and designed for long-term use, these systems improve health, nutrition and economic opportunities while helping communities build resilience for generations to come.

Help bring clean water to Rural families

From health to harvest

When clean water becomes available:

• Children can drink safely and stay healthier
• Farmers can grow more food, improving family nutrition
• Children can spend more time learning and building their future
• Families can invest more time in livelihoods and new opportunities
• Communities can build resilience to droughts, floods and future challenges

One water system can quietly transform an entire community. It can improve health, strengthen livelihoods and help create a more secure future for decades to come.

Last year, together with local communities, we built and rehabilitated over 178,162 metres of irrigation canals and passages, and supported 8,400 men, women and children to access clean drinking water and vital sanitation facilities.

This summer, you can help more families access clean, reliable water so they can move beyond crisis and build a more secure future. Please donate today, double your impact and help twice as many communities access the water they need not only to survive, but to thrive.

Our Impact