Water cut lasts due to unrepaired pumps in South Darfur camp

For three consecutive weeks there has been a water cut in the Otash camp for the displaced in Nyala, capital of South Darfur, without a solution in sight.  A sheikh from the camp told Radio Dabanga on Thursday that the residents of the camp are now facing an acute crisis of drinking water as the supply has continued to be disrupted for a period of three weeks. This is due to the failure of WEST, the national organisation working in the field of water, to provide gasoline for the water pumps. According to the sheikh, “it has no budget to do so. 22 pumps have been non-operative due to the lack of fuel.” In a Radio Dabanga report from November, WEST told a spokesperson for the Otash camp that it has no budget to provide fuel for the water pumps.  As a result the displaced people have to go buy water from commercial wells, 1km away from the camp, “despite the extreme cold and the few clothes they have,” the sheikh added. “A large number of the camp residents have no tins to transport water.” The Otash camp residents expressed anger at the inability of the WEST organisation to provide fuel supply for the pumps, and accuse WEST of not letting other organisations working in the region to intervene and solve the problem. File photo: A mother washing her son in a North Darfur camp for the displaced (Albert Gonzalez Farran/Unamid) Related: Acute drinking water shortage, ‘health disaster’ in South Darfur camps (26 November 2013)