Severe lack of drinking water in South Darfur camps

The South Darfur camps for the displaced are suffering from a severe lack of drinking water. Speaking to Radio Dabanga, the spokesperson for the Association of Displaced People and Refugees of Darfur, Hussein Abu Sharati, reported that the inhabitants of the South Darfur camps for the displaced are suffering from a water shortage, putting the health and the lives of citizens at risk. “They have severe difficulty to access even a small quantity of drinking water.” Sharati explained that the water problem is caused by a lack of fuel for the water pumps, the arrival of newly displaced people at the camps, in addition to the withdrawal of organisations working in the field of water. “They left the provision of water to the supervision and responsibility of the camp residents.” The spokesperson noted that although the World Food Programme, the International Organization for Migration and organizations working in the field of water in South Darfur are aware of the problem, they have not been able to provide a solution for the camps residents’ lack of financial means to operate the water pumps. Sharati appealed to the international community and the United Nations to intervene quickly in order to “avoid a humanitarian disaster”. File photo Related: Most water pumps out of order in West Darfur camps (8 November 2013)7,000 South Darfuris in need of drinking water, basic services (8 November 2013)