Between September and December 2019, a Monitoring Station in Kabul Classed Its Air Quality As Good Just 0.5% of the Time

Jan 24, 2020 | Eoghan Darbyshire
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Over the last four months of 2019, and based on the US Environmental Protection Agency’s standards, the embassy data reveals that the air at the Kabul site was classed as “good” for just 0.5% of the time. Only for 30% of the time was the air quality satisfactory for those with pre-existing health conditions. Air quality deteriorated sharply in December, when 20% of the time was spent in “unhealthy” conditions, a further 20% in “very unhealthy” conditions and, concerningly, 40% in “hazardous” conditions – the highest pollution classification, and which represents an emergency situation with the entire population likely to be affected.

At the end of December, Afghanistan’s health ministry reported that 17 people had died of respiratory infections during the final week of 2019, and linked these to the hazardous pollution levels. The same week had also seen more than 8,800 patients visit government hospitals with health conditions connected to poor air quality.