Sudan: Providing water for vulnerable communities in Darfur
The Hashaba example
As of August 2019, the Khartoum delegation of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) had facilitated access to clean drinking water for a total of 326,407 persons in three Darfur states, as well as in Blue Nile and South Kordofan states of Sudan, thereby providing residents with access to clean water and helping to reduce their vulnerability to water-borne diseases and ill-health.
Development of Hashaba water yard
As an example, our intervention in Hashaba town, which lies 55 km to Al Fashir in North Darfur State, typifies the work we do, which has resulted in a total of 12,174 persons now gaining access to clean water and safely too.
Hashaba has two water yards (WYs) supplied by three boreholes (BHs) and they have two distribution points: one for animals and jerry can collection points for the population. These WYs supply water to populations in 25-30 villages within the close distance to their location.
However, in 2016, two out of these became non-functional and neither the communities nor the rural Water Authority could afford the cost of repairs.
In 2018, the ICRC conducted a pumping test for two BHs to make them functional again and on a sustainable basis, as well as to rehabilitate the distribution point of one Water Yard.
We then went ahead to refurbish the fence/generator rooms, fixed taps to the existing tap-stand, built a new tap-stand, installed water troughs for animals, water hydrant for carts and repaired holes in the elevated tank. We purchased two generators, two pumps with accessories, and fittings. By this year, 2019, all works were concluded and the joy of the people of Hashaba knew no bounds as they could now obtain clean water within a relatively short distance from their homes.
The photos below illustrate the conditions or situations of access to water supply for the population and their animals before our intervention, and how our efforts changed the situation:
The borehole area before its rehabilitation by the ICRC.
The borehole area after its rehabilitation.
Residents in Hashaba can now easily access water in their area and they no longer have to go to other villages.
Residents in Hashaba can now easily access water in their area and they no longer have to go to other villages.
Residents of Hashaba are now able to get water for their livestock easily.
Residents of Hashaba are now able to get water for their livestock easily.
In 2018, the ICRC conducted a pumping test for two boreholes to make them functional again and on a sustainable basis, as well as to rehabilitate the distribution point of one Water Yard.
In 2018, the ICRC conducted a pumping test for 2 boreholes to make them functional again and on a sustainable basis, as well as to rehabilitate the distribution point of one Water Yard.