Community Development Councils (CDCs), mobilized under the LIVE-UP project, prioritized storm water disposal as their most pressing need, and built a Canal to dispose-off the storm water. The canal project is in the length of 2000 meter with total cost 600,000 USD that is benefiting over 800 families or 4038 people living in the settlement.

Residents of Bagrami, District 22, Kabul (Chamane Hussain Khial), many of whom are recent Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), have previously suffered significant shocks when spring rains inundate local water bodies and cause flooding. Soils locally have a high clay content which do not allow for water penetration, resulting in stagnant pools of rainwater remaining for weeks at a time, destroying property and creating issues of public health.

“Now we are safe, our families are safe, our children are safe, and our homes are safe. I am very thankful for the project; it makes our life secure, easy and re-builds our relations with each other.” Says Habib Rahman, a resident of Bagrami District 22, Kabul.

“Last spring, we faced huge rain and flooding which collapsed my house, and we left at midnight with my children. Fortunately, my family was safe, but our belongings and home were destroyed we went to a friend’s house, but our neighbour Taj Nisar who was 75 years old died during the catastrophic flooding and raining when a wall collapsed on him,” Habib added ‘We are 12 at home, four daughters and six sons and I am the only one who supports his family.” During the visit to his ruined house, he said, “I don’t have money to make my house, and I live in rented house.”

This settlement is located in Bagrami District 22, west of Kabul. Residents live in very basic conditions and suffer from lack of adequate livelihoods, lack of clean drinking water, inadequate shelters and a lack of health and education services.

The residents collectively expressed their appreciation to UN-Habitat for the construction of the canal to protect local property and improve public health.

A number of deaths of children and elderly residents of PD 22 were reported during flooding foloowing heavy rains last Spring.

Related:

local-integration-of-vulnerable-excluded-uprooted-people (LIVE-UP)