War in Sudan: ‘The water is dirty, it makes us sick, but we have no choice’, say residents.
As the war in Sudan continues, the water crisis is worsening. Even before the conflict, 11 million Sudanese lacked access to basic water services, according to the NGO Humanitarian Action, a situation that has been exacerbated by the war. The lack of access to water and sanitation is causing a serious health crisis, with 11 states in the country experiencing a cholera epidemic. This is particularly the case in the capital, Khartoum.
The regular army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) are clashing in the western suburbs of Khartoum. Trapped residents have no electricity, no food and, most of all, no water.
Sameera Idris leaves her house to fetch water: ‘We walk 10 to 12 kilometres to get water from the well on the other side of Omdourman. Water is a big problem, there are a lot of people, it takes a long time and we have to carry canisters at arm’s length.
Those who don’t have access to wells collect water from the Nile, like Iman Abdallah from the Almurbat district: ‘Every day my little brother and I bring two big buckets and three small ones. It’s not enough, but we manage. We use it for cooking, washing and drinking. The water is dirty, it makes us sick, but we have no choice.
The river water is often polluted. The Nile sometimes washes up the bodies of victims of fighting or violence by the Rapid Support Forces.
When we went to collect water from the Nile, RSF snipers shot at us,’ says Muaed Adam, 23. Even though we were civilians, they suspected us of belonging to the army. Today things are better. I’m happy to swim freely in the Nile.
Since the start of the cholera epidemic in August, the United Nations has recorded more than 55,000 cases and 1,200 deaths.
