Water sources out of operation in Kordofan and Darfur

Residents of Abbasiya renewed their complaints about a shortage of drinking water: a number of villages lack water sources amid the dry weather. People in North Darfur reported similar problems.

Approximately 12,000 residents and displaced people in villages southwest of Abassiya “suffer from extreme thirst” caused by wells which have run dry and the lack of other water sources.

On Monday, residents told Radio Dabanga that the areas of Kalanda, Shuliya, Tirfit and Jogayga are suffering from a severe thirst these days. “The crisis has worsened within these areas because they host about 2,000 displaced people who arrived from Abul Hasan, Aradiba, Tuma, Lamaglam and El Feid,” a resident explained.

Last month Abbasiya residents reported that the failed agricultural season would cause problems for the population and the displaced people who have arrived in the town following the outbreak of war in the state in 2011. “Shrinking agricultural projects have increased displacement and insecurity and contributed to the aggravation of the suffering of the displaced persons in South Kordofan,” a Sheikh said.

Water engines

A disrupted water engine, reportedly the only one in the area of Um Keddada, has caused a drinking water shortage for residents of five villages in North Darfur. The engine has been awaiting repairs for over a year, a resident told Radio Dabanga

The inhabitant of Um Sunta village said that people are fetching drinking water from Burosh, which is about six hours away. “But we paid the water corporation SDG35,000 ($5,216) last year, for repairing the water engine, but nothing has happened since then.”

He appealed to the water corporation to expedite the repair of the water engine or refund the people of Um Keddada.

Last week the Minister of Urban Planning of North Darfur announced the inventory and preparation of water pumps in El Fasher city for the coming summer period. He made his remarks when water pumps in the nearby Zamzam camp continued to be non-operative and a water reservoir south of El Fasher suffered from low groundwater levels.