21st May 2019, Kabul. Residents of informal areas in Kabul expressed gratitude to the Municipality for upgrading their neighborhood. The Municipality has recently finalized the construction of staircase footpaths in a hilly area of the city, inaccessible for elder, people with disabilities and kids. More than 2,259 m3 of staircase footpaths were constructed benefiting more than 50,000 families in Districts 1, 2 and 3.

This project is also improving livelihoods of residents as public works are being done by residents of these areas creating more than 37,000 job days.

Mr. Mohammed Yacoub, the elder and the senior representative of Kabul District 2, explained: “how this project has improved the lives of community members avoiding accidents and casualties not only for vulnerable neighbors but all residents, especially during the rainy season”.

Kabul Municipality has also contributed to the beautification of these hills through the painting of all properties located in these districts. So far, 825,969m2 of houses have benefited from this initiative.  The newly painted houses have given a new vibrant and colorful image of these informal areas.

These activities are part of the Clean and Green City, a leading programme assisting Afghan municipalities in improving urban services. UN-Habitat has technically assisted Kabul Municipality in the implementation of this programme in close coordination with the Department of Sanitation led by Mr. Ahmad Behzad. Mr. Behzad thanked UN-Habitat for this strategic partnership “as an important driver to enhance the culture of citizenship and local ownership”.

 Clean and Green City is a USAID and EU funded project.

For more information, please contact UN-Habitat’s Head of Communications in Afghanistan,

Mr. Koussay Boulaich, Koussay.boulaich@un.org