‘Serious water shortage’ in Blue Nile town: Unicef

Dindiro in Kurmuk locality in Blue Nile state faces serious water shortages that have affected more than 11,000 people, including displaced people.

A joint team of the United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef) and Sudanese government representatives went to Kurmuk to implement a 90-day response plan to tackle these shortages. There are 8,560 residents and 2,500 displaced people affected by drinking water shortages, the UN's humanitarian office (OCHA) reported in a weekly bulletin.

In response to the water shortage, Unicef, international NGO Islamic Relief Worldwide and the governmental Water and Environmental Sanitation Department (WES) have started trucking water to Dindiro. Water trucking will continue for three months until the start of the rainy season.

In the entire locality IRW wants to rehabilitate 20 hand pumps and two dams are planned to be rehabilitated in Dindiro area.

Earlier this month residents in El Tadamon locality reported that locals suffered from a scarcity of water services that has caused a number of herdsmen to return to South Sudan in search of pasture and water.

The humanitarian situation in Blue Nile is dire because of ongoing armed conflict between government and rebel forces, and the deteriorated situation in the neighbouring South Sudan. In January, the rebel Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) says it has not rejected a US initiative for the provision of humanitarian aid to the South Kordofan and Blue Nile states.