Latrine coverage for refugees at camps throughout White Nile State is below the UNHCR standard of 20 people per latrine, according to a press statement by the UN humanitarian coordination office in Khartoum.

Only the Al Alagaya and Dabat Bosin camps currently reach the SPHERE emergency standard of 50 people per latrine. “In Um Sangor camp, there is currently no latrine coverage,” the UN office reported in one of its regular bulletins.

“To rapidly remedy the situation, UNICEF, with funding from the Central Emergency Relief Fund (CERF), will shift the construction of 100 latrines to Um Sangor camp from Al Algaya camp where they were originally intended. In addition, UNHCR in partnership with CAFOD, will construct 210 latrines to serve the camp,” the bulletin reads.

In related news, camps in White Nile State are set to receive new water bladders for water storage. “As the water level in the White Nile River running through White Nile State continues to drop, so has the water availability in Al Alagaya, El Redis and Jouri camps. There is a shortage of water bladders, which are vital for storage, in most of the camps,” the UN explained.

“This has been coupled with a breakdown of a water tanker in Um Sangor camp, further exacerbating the limited availability of water. In response, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) signed an agreement with the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development (CAFOD) to construct 12 platforms for water bladders in four of the White Nile camps (Um Sangor, El Redis II, Jouri, Al Kashafa).”

File photo: Men building a latrine in Awerial, South Sudan (Grace Cahill/Oxfam)