Afghanistan’s state-owned Urban Water Supply and Sewerage Corporation has signed a AFN 1 billion contract with private company Paktia Mawoj to develop a water supply project expected to benefit around 50,000 families in Kabul’s 17th Police District.

Mohammad Nabi Bahar, spokesperson for the General Directorate of State-Owned Companies, said the project will combine surface water from the Shah wa Arus Dam with supplies from five deep wells.

The system is designed to provide a total of 200 litres of water per second, comprising 100 litres per second from the dam and another 100 litres per second from the wells.

Bahar said the project is expected to be completed and handed over for public use within three years.

The initiative aims to strengthen water supply infrastructure in the 17th district and improve residents’ access to drinking water.

With an estimated investment of AFN 1 billion, the project represents a major planned infrastructure development for the Afghan capital.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has launched the second phase of an economic recovery initiative aimed at strengthening livelihoods, restoring community infrastructure and supporting vulnerable communities across five Afghan provinces.

In an announcement on Monday, October 26, UNDP said the second phase of its Reviving Economic Activities and Improving Vulnerable Environments (REVIVE II) programme would expand recovery and reconstruction efforts, with financial support from the Republic of Korea.

The programme will cover Kabul, Paktia, Ghazni, Nangarhar and Kunar provinces, focusing on restoring social infrastructure, revitalising local economic activities and improving communities’ ability to withstand economic shocks.

UNDP said REVIVE II builds on the achievements of the programme’s initial phase, with the new stage intended to extend support and improve economic conditions for vulnerable communities.

However, the agency did not disclose the programme’s total budget, implementation timeline or the number of people expected to benefit.

The initiative comes as Afghanistan continues to face significant challenges in economic recovery and the creation of sustainable livelihood opportunities, particularly for vulnerable communities seeking to rebuild their livelihoods and strengthen their resilience.