“I am entering the 12th grade this year at school. When a flood occurs, our route to school gets blocked. I also have trouble with transportation; I must go to another school in another village because we do not have a high school here.” These are the serious challenges that 17-year-old Shirin faces in her daily life in the southeastern Sistan and Baluchestan Province, Iran. In early 2024, her region, Dashtiyary in Chabahar County, was devastated by severe floods.
Following the devastating floods, Shirin and her family faced critical risks related to health and sanitation. “We don’t have enough access to clean water. The tap water is often cut off, and there are issues with sanitation. When it floods, children in the village get sick. This year, a disease spread, which we call ‘itching.’ Children developed itchy rashes on their hands,” Shirin shares. Her account highlights the urgent need for improved water and sanitation systems in flood-affected areas, where limited access to clean water and poor sanitation exacerbate health risks, particularly for children.
