"We once asked the patient’s family to bring a light. They brought a mining lamp. That is how surgeries were sometimes done”.   

Soghra Jafary, a nurse, has worked in Bazar Sokhta District Hospital in Afghanistan’s Samangan province for more than a decade, and has many stories like these.  

Afghanistan faces a major energy deficit: more than 80% of the population still lacks access to reliable and stable electricity, and needs are constantly growing. Most electricity is imported from neighbouring countries, and supplies are erratic and unreliable.  

On average, homes in Afghanistan receive just 5-10 hours of electricity a day, and, especially in remote areas such as Samangan, the lights can go out suddenly, without warning. That is a major inconvenience for a household, but for a hospital or health centre, the lack of electricity can be a matter of life or death.  

"We had a well-built hospital, but without electricity, many critical services were simply impossible," recalls Dr. Azita Nasratzada, a maternity specialist at the same hospital.