Nearly 80 pc of Afghans lack access to drinking water: UNDP

Kabul, March 24 (IANS) Nearly 80 per cent of Afghanistan's population lacks access to potable water, according to a report from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Afghanistan.

The report pointed out that the severe drought conditions, economic instability, and the devastating effects of prolonged conflicts have significantly reduced Afghanistan's water infrastructure, Xinhua news agency reported.

The crisis disproportionately affects female-headed households, which face additional barriers in accessing public water facilities, exacerbating their vulnerability, it added.

The landlocked Afghanistan is grappling with an exacerbated drought.

The Afghan caretaker government has been building small dams, water supply networks, and water canals across the country to improve and store groundwater.