Acute drinking water crisis continues in South Darfur camp

The 128,000 residents of the Otash camp for the displaced in Nyala, capital of South Darfur are facing an acute drinking water crisis due to the lack of fuel to run the pumps. The spokesperson for the Otash camp told Radio Dabanga, that the 97,000 residents, in addition to 31,000 newly displaced people in the camp are suffering from an acute crisis of drinking water for more than a month. “There are 22 operative water engines in the camp. Unfortunately, the national organisation WEST, which is working in the field of water at the camp, is unable to finance the provision of fuel.” The spokesperson noted that the camp residents went to get their drinking water from commercial wells, about 1km from the camp. “Yet”, he stressed, “the majority of the camp residents do not have the financial capacity and transportation means to get water from that well. The price of a tin of water has risen to SDG0.50 ($0.87).” The displaced demanded that the WEST organisation, if it cannot find solutions to the drinking water problem, to leave the opportunity to other organisations working in the field of water to help the residents of Otash camp. File photo (Oxfam) Related: Acute drinking water shortage, ‘health disaster’ in South Darfur camps (26 November 2013)Severe lack of drinking water in South Darfur camps (24 November 2013)7,000 South Darfuris in need of drinking water, basic services (8 November 2013)