In Iraq’s capital, Baghdad, a growing number of residents in outlying districts continue to suffer from a worsening water crisis. Baghdad’s water crisis has deepened as communities on the city’s edges struggle to access clean and reliable sources. Despite major government budgets, the lack of services has pushed thousands toward unsafe alternatives.
Additionally, in districts like Al-Duanym, many families face daily hardship without any access to piped water. Residents dig shallow wells to meet basic needs. Most of these wells do not meet safety standards, but families have no other options. Every day, people collect water from the ground for bathing, washing, and cooking.
Baghdad’s water crisis has created an expensive burden. Residents often buy water in barrels to ensure clean drinking water for their families. One resident shared that a single barrel can cost 30,000 to 40,000 Iraqi dinars. Many people work long hours doing physical labor just to afford this daily necessity.
The problem reaches beyond Al-Duanym. In many parts of Baghdad’s outskirts, neighborhoods face similar conditions. Damaged pipes, broken pumps, and outdated systems plague the city’s outer districts. Temporary water solutions often appear during election seasons but vanish shortly after. Residents report that officials install water pumps for political gain, only to remove them when campaigns end.
Although the government allocates massive sums to infrastructure each year, little of that funding seems to reach the people. Baghdad’s water crisis exposes a serious disconnect between national spending and local delivery. Pipes remain broken, networks stay incomplete, and entire communities remain ignored.
Many residents now question how billions of Iraqi dinars disappear without improving daily life. People want answers. They demand real solutions, not seasonal promises. As heat rises across Iraq, the need for water becomes urgent, but government action remains slow or absent.
Baghdad’s water crisis affects more than comfort. It endangers health, undermines dignity, and erodes trust in institutions. Without clean water, families face illness, dehydration, and increased financial stress. As the crisis deepens, only strong leadership and transparent spending can restore hope to neglected areas.
Water is a basic right. In Baghdad’s outskirts, people continue fighting for that right each day. The government must act now to reverse this crisis before more families suffer. Baghdad’s water crisis will only grow worse unless serious reforms begin immediately.