Key Points

• Only 48% of Afghanistan’s population have access to safe drinking water and only 37% use improved sanitation facilities - with serious health implications, especially for children
• Conflict, water shortages, and economic crisis have wiped out jobs, ruined crops and left millions of Afghans in humanitarian need.
• MERCY Malaysia plans to provide a water storage system with a solar pump that will make access to water to Ghorma villagers easier.
• The entire project is estimated to cost RM 110,000 and is deemed extremely crucial.
• Part of the plan involves the construction of a new water system, reparation of the existing water system, and provision of construction materials.

Campaign Story

Only 48% of Afghanistan’s population have access to safe drinking water and only 37% use improved sanitation facilities - with serious health implications, especially for children.

During three decades of turmoil in Afghanistan, water supply infrastructure has been neglected or destroyed. All that the people want is an adequate supply of clean water for drinking, cleaning and purification. The village of Ghorma in the Khomst province of Afghanistan has only ONE water pipe leading into it. Can you imagine that? For the rest of the world like in our own houses we have multiple pipes for ease and convenience.

Currently, there are approximately 1,200 people living in Ghorma village and the villagers here only rely on one water source. With a limited water source and poor living conditions, the Ghorma villagers have a higher risk of water-borne diseases such as cholera and skin diseases such as scabies.

The situation is made worse by the devastating aftermath of a 5.9 magnitude earthquake in June 2022, affecting southwestern Afghanistan - the worst in two decades. MERCY Malaysia is at the forefront of this mission, to build a purpose-built water tank that services 63,000 litres and has a submersible water pump that is powered by 8 solar panels. This tank will store clean water from the village’s existing pipe, which will then be redirected to every house in the village.

The water supply project is part of MERCY Malaysia Afghanistan Country Response Plan, focusing on four sectors namely Health, Nutrition, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), and Shelter. Access to clean water, and good practice of sanitation and hygiene is vital to reducing mortality and morbidity rate due to preventable diseases, which women and children are often the victims of it.

The entire project is estimated to cost RM 110,000 and is deemed extremely crucial.

Part of the plan for the WASH and Shelter sectors involves the construction of a new water system, reparation of the existing water system, and provision of construction materials. These then will be followed by the expansion of water accessibility and activities to support WASH behavioural changes, ensuring an improvement in the quality of life and health of the people in Afghanistan.

We need YOUR help to build this water tank, to equip their homes with running water. Just RM10 can go a long way in quenching a family's thirst and changing their lives.

Why are water projects the best form of waqf? Sa’ad ibn Ubadah asked the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, “Which charity is best?” The Prophet ﷺ said, “A drink of water.”