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Fresh and clean water is essential in Jacobabad, a sun-scorched city in Sindh province, where temperatures frequently exceed 50°C during intensifying heatwaves, leading to severe health risks such as dehydration and heatstroke. However, the U.S. foreign aid freeze under President Donald Trump threatens the city’s critical water supply.
In 2012, USAID pledged a $66 million grant to improve Sindh’s municipal services, including the renovation of a key water treatment plant that pumps and purifies water from a canal 22 kilometers (14 miles) away.
Yet, Pakistani non-profit HANDS reports that Trump’s aid suspension has blocked $1.5 million crucial for ensuring the project’s long-term viability, putting it at risk of shutting down within months.
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“This has transformed our lives,” said 25-year-old Tufail Ahmed in Jacobabad, where winter temperatures are already expected to exceed 30°C next week. “If the water supply is cut off, survival will become extremely difficult.”
From September to mid-January, Sindh received 52% less rainfall than average, according to the Pakistan Meteorological Department, which warns of a “moderate drought” in the coming months.
