In Jacobabad, one of the hottest cities in the world, a lifeline water project that provides fresh, filtered water to thousands is at risk due to U.S. President Donald Trump’s suspension of foreign aid, a Pakistani NGO has warned.
The southern Sindh city frequently experiences temperatures exceeding 50°C (122°F), making access to clean water critical for preventing heatstroke and dehydration.
A $66 million USAID grant, committed in 2012, helped renovate a facility that pumps and purifies water from a canal 22 kilometers (14 miles) away. However, Pakistan-based non-profit HANDS says that $1.5 million in essential funding has been blocked due to Trump’s 90-day freeze on foreign assistance, putting the project’s long-term viability in jeopardy.
The water plant currently supplies 1.5 million gallons (5.7 million litres) of water daily, benefitting approximately 350,000 people in Jacobabad—a city where severe water shortages and extreme poverty are common. Without funding, the project may collapse within months, HANDS CEO Shaikh Tanveer Ahmed warned.
“Survival will be challenging if the water supply stops,” said Tufail Ahmed, a 25-year-old resident, highlighting the city’s reliance on the service. Local government authorities, now managing the system, lack the technical expertise and revenue collection mechanisms that HANDS was developing to sustain the project.
As a result, 47 workers, including water purification experts, have already been laid off, raising concerns about service disruptions. The only alternative is expensive private water tankers, which cost ten times more and often carry contaminated water.
The funding freeze is part of Trump’s broader push to reduce foreign aid spending, particularly targeting USAID, which distributes 42% of global humanitarian aid. The agency, with a $42.8 billion budget, has faced criticism from Trump, who has called it “run by radical lunatics”, while billionaire and top donor Elon Musk has described it as a “criminal organization” needing to be dismantled.
Though USAID’s budget represents less than 1.4% of total U.S. government spending, the cuts have disproportionately affected aid programs in developing countries, including Pakistan.
Jacobabad’s water crisis is a direct consequence of climate change, with record-breaking heatwaves and persistent drought conditions. The Pakistan Meteorological Department has already warned of 52% below-average rainfall in Sindh, increasing the likelihood of moderate drought in the coming months.
Pakistan, home to 240 million people, is ranked as the country most affected by climate change according to Germanwatch’s Climate Risk Index. The country experienced catastrophic monsoon floods in 2022, submerging one-third of its landmass, killing 1,700 people, and causing $14.9 billion in damages. Jacobabad was also hit hard in the 2010 floods, which killed almost 1,800 people and affected 21 million others.
Despite contributing less than 1% of global greenhouse gas emissions, Pakistan continues to suffer the worst effects of climate change and has consistently demanded climate reparations from major polluters.
For locals, the loss of the USAID-funded water project would be devastating. Social activist Abdul Ghani stressed that stopping the supply would severely impact the poor, who cannot afford alternatives.
“Before this, our women had to walk for hours to collect water,” said 18-year-old Noor Ahmed. Others, like 55-year-old Sadruddin Lashari, recalled how contaminated private water sources frequently caused health issues, increasing medical expenses.
“This water is clean. The supply cannot be stopped,” he insisted.
With temperatures soaring and no immediate funding solution in sight, Jacobabad’s residents are now bracing for an even harsher future—one where access to water, their most basic necessity, remains uncertain.
