For tens of thousands of people in south-eastern Iran, the only source of water is that distributed by the Iranian Red Crescent, with support from the Federation. (p7925) Many lakes and reservoirs in Iran are now completely dry after five years of crippling drought. Levels in wells have fallen to record lows and the water has become too salty to drink. (p7924) The Federation-supported drought relief programme includes the removal of solid waste in areas where water tanks are located. (p7923) In Shirabad, Afghan and Iranian families stand in line at a water tank to get their daily share of water (some 30 litres). (p7922)

Iranian drought deepens: water situation critical
15 July 2002
By Sébastien Carliez in Amman

November 2001. The situation in the village of Shirabad, near the city of Zahedan (province of Sistan-va-Baluchestan, south-eastern Iran), eight months ago, was symptomatic of the unprecedented drought the country had experienced for the fourth successive year. The village was nothing but dusty housing blocks surrounded by rocky hills, with not a single spot of green in sight.

The inhabitants were highly sceptical about future rains - the last drop fell there five years back. Most of the 10,000 people living in Shirabad are Afghan refugees who fled their war-torn country in the past two decades. Like more than two million of their compatriots, they are among the most vulnerable people in Iran, and have been severely affected by the drought and the consequent shortage of drinking water.

In the early morning hours in Shirabad, Afghan and Iranian families stand in line at a reservoir to get their daily share of water for drinking as well as cooking and washing. Every morning, the same ritual could be witnessed in 31 other sites in the province, where the Iranian Red Crescent Society has set up water tanks for those most in need. The International Federation's programme to distribute drinking water in Sistan-va-Baluchestan began in December 2000. Today, clean water is distributed every day to at least 16,000 families (65,000 people).

July 2002. Another eight months of drought in Sistan-va-Baluchestan have made a difficult water situation much worse. "The region is one of the most affected in the country," says Mostafa Mohaghegh, the Red Crescent's international director. "In 15 out of 28 provinces still exposed to the drought, water reservoirs have not recovered their normal levels after last winter's sporadic rains," he explains. Water levels in Iran have reached record lows.

In most villages of the province, water is rationed despite recent efforts by the public authorities to build new water pipelines - the supply is sometimes a mere six hours every second day. Until a few years ago people used to dig private wells and acquire drinking water naturally. "The water is now very salty and not proper to drink," explains Hani Tamim, from the Federation's delegation in Iran. "And families cannot afford to buy fresh, clean water."

With summer approaching its peak and grim forecasts by the Iranian meteorological organisation of continuing lack of rain over the coming winter, Mostafa Mohaghegh voices his growing concern over the future of water supply in Sistan-va-Baluchestan, especially for its most vulnerable population, among which are about 260,000 Afghan refugees. "The persistent drought in the region and the lengthy process of repatriating refugees into Afghanistan require that our water distribution programme be extended for another twelve months," he says.

According to Mohaghegh, the programme "has so far proved successful," in spite of an increasingly complex situation. The average quantity of water distributed has grown steadily over the months to about 500,000 litres a day. And the combination of door-to-door health and hygiene campaigns by Red Crescent volunteers, with the collection of solid waste in areas where the tanks have been set up, has already contributed to improving the health situation of Afghan families living in the targeted settlements. Home visits show that diarrhoea cases, for example, are decreasing and that the number of vaccinated children is now 42% higher than before the project started. Awareness of basic health principles and the prevention of diseases has increased by more than 250%!

"The programme has a positive impact on the physical welfare of the community," confirms Amir Abdollahpour, the Federation's programme officer in the province, who has visited beneficiaries on an almost daily basis for the past year and a half. "But water resources are dramatically going down, with a risk of complete shortage in the near future," he adds.

In the city of Zahedan, where water is pumped deep before being chlorinated and trucked to 17 neighbouring settlements, the well water levels have reached all-time lows. In Zabol, the second largest town of the province, the situation is even more critical, says Amir. "Water distributed through our 15 tanks is the only source for the refugees, since the nearby artificial lake dried up months ago."

Today in Sistan-va-Baluchestan, although basic infrastructures for water delivery are in place, the persistent drought is threatening the supply of water as well as the health of thousands of vulnerable families. Unless additional funding is allocated to the programme, they will no longer get their 30 litres or so of fresh water every day, the Iranian Red Crescent warns.

The International Federation is appealing for 900,000 Swiss francs to ensure potable water delivery to 16,000 families for another year. This represents an average cost of 4.68 Swiss francs per family and per month - the price of water in drought-stricken Sistan-va-Baluchestan.