Acute drinking water crisis in West Darfur’s Murnei camp

The 76 water pumps at the Murnei camp for the displaced in Kereinik locality, West Darfur, have been idle for three months. “The Murnei camp population, consisting of 127,000 people, have suffered from a severe lack of water for three months by now,” the head of the Murnei camp elders told Radio Dabanga. “The reasons are technical, as the national WEST organisation does not regularly maintain the water stations. When a water pump breaks down, it just removes the tap.” The camp elders have talked to the local manager of the organisation, “to no avail”, the camp head said. “The camp residents are now drinking unclean water collected from Wadi Bari, 2km northeast of the camp, Wadi Madari, 3km west of the camp, or Wadi Azum, 2km southeast of the camp. The head of the Murnei camp appealed to the UN, and relief organisations to intervene, and provide clean drinking water “as soon as possible”. File photo: Related: 90,000 in dire need of drinking water in West Darfur (30 December 2013)