Afghanistan

Population: 30 million

Life Expectancy: 47 years

Infant Mortality: 165 per 1000 live births

Mortality under age 5: 257 per 1000 live births

Has Safe Water: 39 percent of total population
31 percent of the rural population

Has Adequate Hygiene: 34 percent of total population
29 percent of the rural population

Religion: Over 99 percent Muslim (between 74 to 89 percent Sunni and
9 to 25 percent Shi’a); Christians not measurable

National Wealth: Wide variety of mineral resources, including oil, gas, coal, copper, and gold

National Challenges: Almost continual civil war and foreign intervention since 1978; landmines and unexploded ordinance; low literacy rate; lack of safe water, sanitation, and hygiene education.

Lifewater: Lifewater initiated work in Afghanistan over five years ago. Since then Lifewater has conducted well drilling trainings and hygiene trainings with its national partners. These partners have subsequently drilled wells, installed hand pumps, and conducted hygiene trainings in numerous communities, focusing on primary and secondary schools. In 2006 Lifewater conducted in country assessment and evaluation of WASH (WAter, Sanitation, Hygiene) activities, worked on translating hygiene and sanitation materials into Farsi, and began evaluating strategies for project implementation.

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Sources: UNICEF 2004 stats, CIA World Factbook 2007, Lifewater Projects Dept.