WASH Drought Emergency Response Project (WASH - DERP) for Badghis and Herat Provinces Underlying vulnerabilities for people in Afghanistan have been exacerbated by COVID-19, drought, and the ongoing conflict, leading to reduced access to WASH services and basic health care, a huge increase in acute malnutrition and emergency levels of acute food insecurity.

Drought conditions have led to declining water tables, resulting in intermittent water supply or existing wells drying up. Below average winter precipitation led to prolonged and precarious water shortages and water quality issues in remote communities of Ghor, Badghis, Herat and Faryab among others, where IPC 3 and 4 conditions persist. The country having not yet recovered from the 2018 drought following low winter rainfall (low snow pack resulting in less water from snow melt) and high temperatures associated with a La Niña weather event, Afghanistan has faced severe drought with impacts across all regions of the country that was officially declared by the Government of Afghanistan on 25 June 2021. 

The severity of the drought has significantly depleted the limited water resources available to communities, for both people in their places of origin and for IDPs resulting in limited availability of water for drinking, washing and sanitation as well in affected locations. According to the rapid drought assessment by World Vision in Badghis, Ghor, Faryab 53% and Herat 96% of communities assessed reported a drop in water levels and stated that their sources of water have dried up due to drought this year. Pressure on water sources negatively affects household water availability and hygiene practices. Poor hygiene conditions have long contributed to communicable diseases in Afghanistan, and the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated preexisting WASH needs further since 2020. In Afghanistan, diarrheal diseases are the second most common cause of death for children under the age of five, after acute respiratory infections, which is highly attributed to limited access to basic hygiene and sanitation facilities. This situation, if not addressed, is likely to exacerbate not only the spread of COVID-19 but also put the most vulnerable populations at risk of other water related disease transmission.

To respond to this dire situation, World Vision through this proposed project will provide approximately 28,000 people (8140 male, 7820 female, 6140 boys and 5900 girls) from highly affected districts in Badghis and Herat with lifesaving WASH assistance. Access to safe water, basic sanitation and hygiene will be improved through construction of 13 solar powered water systems benefitting 27,300 people (7936 male, 7625 female, 5987 boys and 5752 girls). Water quality testing and surveillance of water systems (at least 3 tests per water system), establishment and training of 13 water management committees on operation and maintenance of the systems will be done to ensure water safety as per WHO/ANSA standards and sustainability of water systems. Hygiene promotion (awareness creation sessions) and distribution of hygiene kits will also be conducted to promote good hygiene practices such as handwashing with soap coupled with COVID-19 prevention messages as a means to reduce the risk. This project design excludes rehabilitation of water systems because World Vision also received funding from UNICEF to support rehabilitation of nonfunctional water systems in Badghis as part of drought response.

By providing clean drinking water and improved hygiene practices, diarrhea and malnutrition rates will decline, thus “saving lives in the areas of highest need” (HRP SO1). Provision of durable solar powered water supply networks to these locations that are frequently exposed to drought will ensure that "vulnerable people are supported to build their resilience" (HRP SO3).