Residents of various neighborhoods in El Damazin in Sudan’s Blue Nile State over the weekend voiced concerns regarding a severe shortage of drinking water in the town.
A survey conducted by Radio Tamazuj among the city’s residents revealed widespread complaints and significant hardships caused by the water shortage which has persisted for over a week.
Saadallah Omar confirmed that El Damazin town has been grappling with a severe water supply shortage since the beginning of Ramadan. He highlighted that the price of a barrel of water has surged to 6,000 Sudanese Pounds in certain neighborhoods.
Omar further emphasized that the shortage is particularly acute in the northern parts of El Damazin, including Arkaweet, Al Nasr, Aldaraja, Althawra, Alshorouk, and Alhijra, as well as in the central and southern neighborhoods.
“All areas in the city are suffering from thirst,” he stated.
Ibrahim Taj al-Din, a resident of the Arkaweet suburb, echoed the sentiments, saying that they have been experiencing significant difficulties due to the drinking water shortage since the start of Ramadan.
“We dug two meters underground and found no water,” he explained. “Occasionally, a small amount of water flows through the main pipeline for a brief period, only to be cut off before we can utilize it.”
For his part, Taj al-Din pointed out that the water shortage is compounded by the lack of electricity, which is also unavailable even in the mosque where they pray.
“They say Ramadan is a month of mercy and blessings, but we in Arkaweet are suffering severely,” he said.
He noted the steep increase in the price of a barrel of water to 6,000 pounds due to the transportation of water from a long distance. Al-Din urged officials to intervene and address the water crisis, emphasizing the challenges they face, including staying up until morning to access water and sometimes being unable to find water for Suhoor.
Meanwhile, Osman Abbakar confirmed the exacerbation of their suffering during Ramadan due to the water shortage. He said many people have resorted to traveling long distances to fetch drinking water from the river as they cannot afford to purchase water from transporters due to other living expenses.
Hassan al-Rashidi, who resides in the northern part of El Damazin, highlighted the significant suffering occasioned by the water shortage and the increase in water prices and called on government officials to urgently intervene and address the drinking water problem in the city.
Attempts to contact the commissioner of El Damazin for comment were unsuccessful.