Shortage of water in El Salam camp, South Darfur

The residents of El Salam camp for the displaced in Nyala locality, South Darfur, are suffering from a severe water shortage for more than two weeks. Sheikh Mahjoub Adam Tabaldiya informed Radio Dabanga on Tuesday that the displaced in the camp are suffering from a scarcity of water due to the break-down of water pumps. Also the water tankers have stopped the transportation of water into the camp. According to Tabaldiya, out of the five water pumps in the camp, only one is working, and out of the three wells available only two are operative. This situation forces the camp residents to line up in long queues in order to get a tin of water. Others travel long distances to the valleys around the areas of Bielel and Kashalango to fetch water. The sheikh appealed to WEST, a Sudanese organisation working in the field of water at the camp, to repair the stalled pumps. Medical services in the camp are deteriorating too, Tabaldiya added, referring to the spread of diseases, especially diarrhoea, typhoid, and malaria. The health care organisations present in the camp are unable to provide adequate medical services to the patients, most of whom women, children, and the elderly, the sheikh reported. He appealed to the health authorities of South Darfur state and health organisations to intervene and provide adequate health services and improve the environment of the camp. File photo: Technicians monitor the level of water in a water pump in a Darfur camp for the displaced (Albert González Farran/Unamid)