Port Sudan Residents Struggle to Afford Water Amidst Severe Shortages

In Port Sudan, Sudan, families like Amina Khalafallah's are facing immense financial strain due to persistent water shortages. Khalafallah, a resident of the Deim Mayo neighbourhood, spends her entire monthly salary of 300,000 Sudanese pounds ($30) on water for her family of five, as her home lacks a piped water connection. She relies on street vendors who charge 1,000 pounds ($0.10) for 18 litres, a price that escalates during the hotter months.

Khalafallah's situation is indicative of a broader crisis in Sudan, where the ongoing war has regressed average incomes to levels not seen since the early 1990s, according to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The African Development Bank (AfDB) highlights access to safe water as a critical need, with millions of children at risk of waterborne diseases. Port Sudan, while relatively spared from direct conflict, is experiencing increased pressure on its infrastructure due to an influx of internally displaced people.

The city's water supply is reportedly meeting less than 40 percent of demand. A significant factor contributing to this deficit is the collapse of the Arbaat Dam in August 2024, following heavy rainfall and flooding. The dam, which previously supplied half of the city's water, was destroyed, along with downstream villages, pipelines, and wells, leaving entire neighbourhoods reliant on costly trucked water deliveries.

Ahmed Osman, who operates a water distribution station supplying street vendors, has seen prices surge. He explained that the cost to fill a donkey-drawn cart with 250 litres of water has risen from 4,000 Sudanese pounds ($0.40) before the war to 16,000 pounds ($1.60) currently, due to increased operating expenses, particularly fuel. A water tanker carrying 50,000 litres now costs 1.5 million pounds ($150), up from 450,000 pounds before the conflict.

While rehabilitation efforts by the UNDP, including drilling boreholes and installing new pipelines and pumps, aim to supply water to nearly 230,000 people, this is insufficient for Port Sudan's estimated one million residents. Additional projects, such as those by the AfDB and UNICEF, are underway to expand access to safe water for a larger population.

The water crisis poses severe public health risks, according to Emad Hafez, medical director of the emergency department at Port Sudan Teaching Hospital. Disruptions to water supply can force reliance on untreated water, increasing the risk of cholera and other diarrhoeal diseases. Inadequate hygiene due to water scarcity can lead to skin infections, and storing water in uncovered containers can foster mosquito breeding, raising the risk of malaria and dengue fever. Furthermore, water insecurity exacerbates food shortages and malnutrition, particularly affecting children under five and pregnant women, and impacts essential healthcare services that rely on consistent water supplies.