Environment

With USAID's support, UNICEF builds public bathrooms in Herat city

By Omar

With funding from the US Agency for International Development (USAID), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has built 18 public restrooms in various parts of Herat city. The construction work on these facilities started three months ago, and the bathrooms have been open and free for public use since January 25. [Omar/Salaam times]

HERAT -- With funding from the US Agency for International Development (USAID), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has built 18 public restrooms in various parts of Herat city.

The construction work on these facilities started three months ago, and the bathrooms have been open and free for public use since January 25.

The cost of building each public restroom was about 1.5 million AFN ($16,900).

"Having public restrooms is a serious need in big cities. Such facilities are equally important along with other urban facilities that will provide convenience for the general public," said Abdul Wajid Ahya, a resident of Herat city.

A woman passes by a newly built public bathroom funded by the US Agency for International Development (USAID) in Herat city on January 27. [Omar/Salaam Times]

A woman passes by a newly built public bathroom funded by the US Agency for International Development (USAID) in Herat city on January 27. [Omar/Salaam Times]

"Defecating on the side of the road or in the parks is against the culture of a city like Herat," he said.

Those who did so "had no other choice because there were no public restrooms in the city", he added.

The financial assistance provided by USAID and UNICEF for the construction of public restrooms was crucial and has addressed some key social challenges in Herat city, said Ahya.

Herat city is one of Afghanistan's major cities, and thousands of residents of neighbouring districts and provinces visit it every day. The lack of public restrooms has been a serious challenge in the city for years.

Clean, beautiful city

Herat city residents are happy that the newly built public restrooms have made the city clean and beautiful.

"The lack of public restrooms was a serious problem in Herat city, said Esmatullah Ahmadi, 25, a city resident. "It is really hard not to have a restroom in a city where thousands of people come and go every day."

"The construction of public restrooms gave the public some comfort," he said.

Herat city is one of the most beautiful and cultured cities in the country and must always stay clean, he added.

Public restrooms have provided convenience for many travelers, said Gul Khan, 29, a visitor from Gulran district, Herat province.

"When I visited the city in the past, the lack of public restrooms infuriated me. But this time, I am very happy to see public restrooms."

The lack of restrooms in the past was "just too much and troublesome", he said.

"Building the restrooms has brought much comfort to the public," besides contributing to the city's cleanliness, he said.

Preventing spread of disease

The construction of public restrooms has prevented the spread of diseases in Herat city, say physicians.

Human waste left outdoors spread bacteria and other germs, said Dr. Obaidullah Kakar, a respiratory disease specialist in Herat city.

"Herat city has strong winds," he said.

Particles from human waste "pollute the air and people will breathe it", he said. "It is a serious challenge to public health and spreads dangerous diseases."

"Construction of public restrooms prevents the outbreak of many diseases," he said.

Air pollution takes dozens of lives every year in Herat city, added Kakar.

Most viruses spread through defecation in open spaces, causing dangerous diseases, said Dr. Jawad Faqiryar, an internal medicine specialist in Herat city.

"Public hygiene is very important in cities, and there should be facilities such as public restrooms," he said.

"Building public restrooms is one of the most effective and appropriate approaches in Herat city ... and saves thousands of lives," he said.

"Similarly, such facilities provides convenience for the residents of the districts and other provinces who visit Herat city daily."

Those who fail to use a toilet in time run a higher risk of kidney or stomach disorders, he warned.

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The construction of toilets is good, but the cost is very high. It shows there has been a lot of theft and corruption in this work. It is impossible that AFN 1.5 million will be spent on constructing such a small facility. A maximum of AFN 500,000 can be spent on it. A big house is being built for one and a half million Afghanis. Build toilets, but don't waste aid money collected in the name of Afghans and paid by American taxpayers. Thanks.

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Urban toilets being built in any city/district and diverting people from defecating in the open air are health-safe and safe. I heard the words of Dr. Sharif Ahmed Ahmadzai, an official of the Ministry of Public Health, some time ago that the Dara-e-Noor district of Nangarhar was declared a sanitary district in terms of health. He said that children in remote areas are primarily suffering from diseases due to impurity. According to him, the reason for this is defecating in the open air, which has caused the disorders. He added that because of this, children suffer from diarrhea, respiratory disease, drought, and polio, which, unfortunately, is one of the two countries where polio still exists. All this is born from impurity, from defecating in the open air. Experts in the medical field say that if defecation in the open air is avoided, there will be less fear of spreading infectious diseases. If the toilet is not used in the open air, there will be diarrhea, malnutrition, and other diseases in the community. Too much, and it will be challenging to prevent.

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UNICEF, with the support of USAID, has done a really good job by building public toilets in the parks and on the streets of Herat city. The people who used to visit the ancient city of Herat, they took a lot of pain and took a 10 or 15 minute walk to find one of the suitable places to solve their problem. Residents of Herat districts are very happy to see these public toilets and they walk in the city with a happy feeling. All the people who roam around in the populous city of Herat were in serious trouble from this point of view. Currently, all the people of Herat feel very happy about the work of UNICEF. As much as the people of the city need drinking water, they also need public toilets, which is done by UNICEF with the support of USAID. If it has financial means, we the people of Afghanistan sincerely request the agency to build public toilets in other populated cities of Afghanistan, such as Kabul, Nangarhar Province, Balkh Province, Kunduz Province, and Khost Province where the people need it. If UNICEF does this, UNICEF may understand that it will change the life of millions of people. I request Salaam Times newspaper to send this message to UNICEF.

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The construction of urban toilets is significant. To keep these toilets safe, each user must pay a fee. We should not wait all our lives for help from UNICEF and other agencies. If American taxpayers pay USAID and they spend it in our country and benefit our people, why don't we do the same? Why don't we make an effort, work hard, and get so much knowledge and education to help Americans and Europeans? We must help the rest of the world. If not today, we must acquire this ability tomorrow. Through the Salaam Times magazine, which always publishes useful content, I thank the people of America and other donor countries from the bottom of my heart for helping our people in science, culture, and other services. Thank you

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