Kandahar, Afghanistan – August 2024 – Razi Social Development Organization (RSDO), in partnership with Nippon International Cooperation for Community Development (NICCO) and supported by the Japan Platform (JPF), proudly announces the successful completion of its Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) project. This initiative, launched in February 2024, aimed to improve living conditions for vulnerable returnees in Kandahar Province.
Recognizing the dire challenges faced by returnees from Pakistan, the project targeted communities in Kandahar City, Daman, and Zhari districts, providing critical interventions to address water scarcity, poor sanitation, and food insecurity. Over 18,000 individuals across 3,000 households benefitted from improved access to safe water, while 500 households received hygiene kits and training, along with essential food packages.
Key achievements include:

• Water Access: RSDO constructed five solar-powered wells and installed water tanks, ensuring 95.3% of households now have reliable access to water.
• Hygiene Promotion: The team distributed hygiene kits and educational booklets to 500 households, empowering 97.7% of beneficiaries to adopt better hygiene practices.
• Food Security: RSDO provided two months of food packages to 500 vulnerable families, addressing immediate nutritional needs and helping reduce reliance on negative coping strategies.

The project has delivered transformative results, significantly reducing waterborne diseases, improving food security, and building healthier, more resilient communities. RSDO prioritized sustainability by establishing water management committees, ensuring long-term functionality, and fostering strong community ownership of the facilities. RSDO sincerely thanks NICCO and JPF for their strong support and partnership, which caused the successful implementation of the project.