NEW YORK – A photo exhibition on the water crisis emergency in Afghanistan is on display at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.

The five-day exhibition, running from 24 to 28 February, highlights Afghanistan's escalating water crisis, driven by severe drought, climate change, decades of conflict, and collapsing infrastructure.

Communities across the country are grappling with a lack of access to clean water and adequate sanitation facilities.

This striking display offers a glimpse into the water scarcity described by UNICEF as a humanitarian emergency—one that exacerbates hunger, displacement, and inequality while increasing the risk and spread of disease.

During a visit to one of the affected communities in Kabul late last year, UNAMA head Roza Otunbayeva called for a swift and collaborative response to provide life-saving resources and protect vulnerable populations.

Women and children are disproportionately affected, deepening existing gender inequalities and leaving children especially vulnerable to waterborne diseases due to inadequate sanitation facilities.

Otunbayeva, together with UNICEF Executive director and the Group of Friends on Climate and Security—a coalition of 70 UN Member States concerned with the adverse effects of climate change on peace and security—is expected to visit the exhibition and make a joint appeal to the international community for support. 

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