Water and food gap in eastern North Darfur

People in the eastern localities of North Darfur complained of a severe shortage of drinking water in the villages, causing them to walk long distances to fetch water. The poor rainy season resulted in a food gap, residents and researchers report.

People in Um Keddada, El Taweisha, and El Lait spoke to Radio Dabanga about the drinking water shortage and the food gap they suffer from following the poor rainy season.

“We hope the authorities can dig more wells so we can face the shortage of drinking water,” a resident said over the telephone.

The head of the North Darfur Legislative Council, Eisa Mohamed Abdallah, said that his council is looking forward to take measures to bridge the gap in the strategic food stocks of the areas.

He also stressed the need to address the acute shortage of clean drinking water and electricity in the rural and urban areas in North Darfur, and called for the formation of councils within the localities that can monitor the development.

Rainfall 

Poor rainfall in parts of North Darfur, Kassala state and northern El Gedaref have led to very poor regeneration of pasture and water sources for livestock, reported the Famine Early Warning Systems Network (Fews Net).

National cereal and cash crop harvests for the 2017/18 season are likely to be below the average production in these parts of North Darfur. The outlook for January 2018 varies between the 'Stressed' towards the 'Crisis' acute food insecurity phase.

Overall, the main season rains performed very well over most parts of Sudan, and national harvest prospects are near average, according to Fews Net.