SOCIETY — February 19, 2026
UNICEF: Access to Safe Water Increases Children's Health and School Attendance
UNICEF says access to safe water in Afghanistan improves children's health, reduces time spent fetching water, and increases school attendance amid severe droughts.
The Ehtebar Desk — originates with Hasht-e Subh — 2 min read
KABUL (Afghan Verified) -- The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) stated that access to safe water reduces long walks for fetching water and allows more time for children's education.
On Thursday, Feb. 19, UNICEF emphasized that safe water access not only improves children's health but also boosts their school attendance and learning conditions.
Many families in Afghanistan lack access to safe water, forcing them or their children to walk for hours to fetch it. Severe droughts and water shortages cause children to spend significant time on this task, negatively impacting their health and school participation.
UNICEF previously reported that droughts deprive children and families of safe water. Access remains severely limited for millions of Afghans, with eight out of every 10 citizens drinking contaminated water.
Read the original reporting at Hasht-e Subh →
Reliability assessment
Single source reporting a direct on-record statement from UNICEF on a specific date (Feb. 19), with concrete checkable details including statistics (eight out of 10 Afghans drink contaminated water from prior report). Topic is humanitarian, not high-stakes or volatile.
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Hasht-e Subh
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Society — UNICEF, water access, children, drought, Afghanistan
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