IDPs in Central Darfur: clean water nearby

Sudan | 2024 | CBPF

Sudan, Central Darfur state. Nemat Adam lives with her family, including her children and their grandparents, near Zalingei in central Darfur.

Getting water was a daily chore.

“We suffered greatly due to the lack of available water, and as the woman responsible for managing the household, I had to walk an hour every day to fetch water. Carrying large containers on my head multiple times daily was exhausting,” Nemat explains. “To meet our family’s needs, I made several trips to collect seven jerry cans of water daily, which left me with little time to focus on my children.”

The civil war in Sudan has made access to clean water extremely difficult, especially in areas affected by fighting and displacement. The destruction of infrastructure and restrictions on movement have left many families struggling to secure enough water for daily use.

The water crisis has forced women and children to take on the exhausting task of walking long distances, sometimes through dangerous areas, to fetch water from unsafe sources; increasing the risk of deadly diseases, including diarrhoea and cholera. UNICEF says that about 17.3 million people in Sudan can’t get safe drinking water.

With support from the Sudan Humanitarian Fund, International Medical Corps repaired water supply systems in Gulsa and Zalingei - two villages in Central Darfur - bringing thousands of people clean water, including Nemat.

Nemat met an IMC staff member in her village, and explained how difficult it was to get water. The local team assessed the situation and took swift action to make repairs and improvements to the local infrastructure.

They repaired two water tanks - each capable of holding 20,000 litres, enough water to serve 2,600 people daily - and 25 water distribution points. They also installed a solar-powered pump, and fenced off the water facilities.

“The change was immediate,” Nemat recalls. “The water station, which had been inactive for more than three years, restored a continuous water supply for our village.”

International Medical Corps also recruited and trained a 12-member water management committee, which is now run by community leaders. They learned basic operation and maintenance procedures, as well as how to contact Central Darfur state’s Water and Environment Sanitation Agency if more complex issues arise.

“Access to clean water is essential, and seeing its impact on families such as Nemat’s reinforces why we do this work,” emphasizes Arif Osman, WASH Manager with International Medical Corps. “We have made a real difference for this vulnerable community.”

“Having readily available water has lifted a huge burden off my shoulders,” says Nemat. “I can now focus on caring for my children without worrying about when and how I will get water.”

Published April 2025

Based on an original story from International Medical Corps

For more information: visit the Sudan Humanitarian Fund and find real-time contribution and allocation data on the POOLED FUNDS DATA HUB.

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