Kabul could become first modern city to run out of water by 2029

Kabul could become the first modern city in the world to run out of water by 2029, the UK head of the International Rescue Committee (IRC) has warned following a week-long visit to Afghanistan.

Flora Alexander, Executive Director of IRC UK, said the growing water crisis comes as millions of Afghans already face food insecurity and limited access to health services and clean water.

Alexander called on the international community to continue supporting Afghans despite competing humanitarian crises elsewhere in the world.

“Kabul is predicted to become the first modern city in the world to run out of water by 2029. So, I hope your viewers understand that turning away from the people of Afghanistan is not the right thing for the international community to do,” Alexander said.

Groundwater under pressure

The warning follows earlier concerns over Kabul’s rapidly falling groundwater levels.

A 2025 Mercy Corps report found that nearly half of Kabul’s boreholes had dried up, while groundwater levels had fallen by up to 30 metres over a decade. The organisation warned that the city’s aquifers could run dry as early as 2030 without urgent action.

UN-Habitat has also said Afghanistan is rapidly urbanising and projected that one in two Afghans could be living in cities by 2060, placing further pressure on urban infrastructure.

An Afghan government spokesman had not responded to AnewZ by the time of publication. However, officials have previously said the Ministry of Energy and Water, the Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development and other organisations are working to manage the country’s water resources.

Humanitarian needs remain high

Alexander said Afghanistan’s water shortages are part of a wider humanitarian crisis, worsened by the return of Afghans from neighbouring Pakistan and Iran as well as cuts to humanitarian funding.

• UNICEF warns 3.7 million Afghan children face rising malnutrition risk
• Afghanistan aid crisis deepens as millions go without support
• Afghanistan water crisis falls hardest on women and girls, UN warns

The United Nations estimates that 21.9 million people, around 45 per cent of Afghanistan’s population, require humanitarian assistance in 2026.

Alexander also raised concerns over restrictions on women’s employment and girls’ education, while urging continued international support for the Afghan population.

Tags

Afghanistan Water Crisis IRC rural development Humanitarian aid United Nations