Water shortages worsen conditions in Sudan's El Obeid refugee camps

Families forced from their homes by the ongoing conflict in Sudan have gathered in makeshift camps on the outskirts of El Obeid, where they now confront severe water scarcity. According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), more than 150,000 people have been displaced to the city’s temporary shelters since fighting intensified in April, and the limited water infrastructure has been unable to meet the surge in demand. Aid agencies report that daily water rations have fallen below the humanitarian minimum of 15 liters per person, leaving many households to rely on contaminated sources such as stagnant ponds and unprotected wells, which heightens the risk of water‑borne diseases.

Humanitarian groups are scaling up water trucking and the installation of portable purification units, but logistical hurdles—including insecurity on supply routes and insufficient funding—have constrained the response. The World Food Programme and local NGOs have appealed for additional resources to expand water points and to distribute hygiene kits, emphasizing that prolonged shortages could exacerbate health crises and impede the broader effort to stabilize the displaced population. Continued international support is deemed essential to prevent a secondary humanitarian emergency in the El Obeid camps.