Khartoum’s roads blocked by angry water crisis protesters

Escalation of protests against the drinking water crisis in neighbourhoods of southern Khartoum continued on Thursday. Main streets were closed off by angry demonstrators.

Dozens of residents from El Ushara district closed the main street that links the centre of Khartoum with the south, in protest of the disrupted water supply that they have suffered for two weeks now. People resorted to the local mosque to fetch drinking water.

A water barrel, fetched by the traditional donkey carts, has risen in costs, to SDG40 ($6.70).

On Wednesday night, protesters in El Sahafa district also closed the main street. They set fire on used tires in the middle of the road, that connects central and southern areas in the Sudanese capital city. Slogans were chanted on the street.

Meanwhile, El Kalakla area has witnessed an acute lack of drinking water for more than two weeks too, that led to dozens of angry residents demonstrating that same night. The protest took place in El Kalakla El Wehda Square 2.

Khartoum state announced the allocation of SDG9.5 million ($1.57 million) to solve the potable water crisis in the city.