JACOBABAD: Jacobabad, in Sindh province, often exceeds 50°C (122°F) during heatwaves. The extreme heat causes dehydration and heatstroke.
In 2012, USAID pledged $66 million to improve Sindh’s municipal services. The key project renovated a plant that pumps and purifies water from a canal 22 km (14 miles) away.
Pakistani non-profit HANDS says Trump’s aid freeze has blocked $1.5 million. This funding was critical for the project’s long-term success. Without it, the system may collapse in months.
“This water changed our lives,” said 25-year-old Tufail Ahmed. “Without it, survival will be very hard.”
From September to mid-January, Sindh saw 52% less rainfall than normal, says the Pakistan Meteorological Department. It predicts a “moderate drought” ahead.
Scientists warn heatwaves are growing longer and hotter.
The project provides 1.5 million gallons (5.7 million liters) of water daily to 350,000 people. Jacobabad, a city of widespread poverty, relies on it.
HANDS says it learned of Trump’s 90-day aid freeze from media reports, without warning.
“We must withdraw staff and shut down services,” said HANDS CEO Shaikh Tanveer Ahmed.
The freeze forced 47 staff members, including technical experts, out of work. The project will likely stop soon. Without new funding, Ahmed fears it will fail completely.
Local authorities now oversee the system. But they lack the skills to maintain it or collect revenue. HANDS had planned to fund operations through bill payments, not donations.
Trump’s cuts have shaken the global aid community. His administration, backed by billionaire donor Elon Musk, has targeted USAID.
USAID’s $42.8 billion budget provides 42% of global humanitarian aid. Yet, it makes up just 0.7% to 1.4% of U.S. government spending over 25 years, says the Pew Research Center.
Trump calls USAID “radical lunatics.” Musk labels it a “criminal organization” that should be destroyed.
In Jacobabad, 47-year-old activist Abdul Ghani urged authorities to continue the water project.
“If the supply stops, people will suffer,” he warned. “Most here are too poor to afford alternatives.”
Residents say the service is unreliable but essential. Without it, they must buy water from private donkey-cart tankers.
“Before this, our women walked for hours to fetch water,” said 18-year-old student Noor Ahmed.
HANDS says private tankers charge up to 10 times more than its 500-rupee ($1.80) rate. Their water often contains arsenic and other toxins.
“The dirty water made us sick,” said 55-year-old Sadruddin Lashari. “Then medical bills drained our pockets.”
“This water is clean. We cannot lose it,” he insisted.
Pakistan, home to 240 million people, ranks as the world’s most climate-affected nation, says Germanwatch’s Climate Risk Index.
In 2022, a third of the country flooded after a record monsoon. The disaster killed over 1,700 people and caused $14.9 billion in damages. That summer, heatwaves devastated Pakistan.
Jacobabad’s water system also suffered during the 2010 floods, which killed nearly 1,800 and affected 21 million people.
Pakistan emits less than 1% of global greenhouse gases, but its people bear the brunt of climate change. Islamabad urges major polluters to fund relief efforts.
“It’s scorching here all year,” said Lashari. “We need water to survive.”
