The sun beats down relentlessly on arid, dusty plains, baking the earth we’re traversing in SUVs. We’re travelling to towns around Sudan’s River Nile and Northern states, meeting the faces and names behind a staggering statistic: around 5 million people have been displaced in and to the region as Sudan’s conflict continues to rage. More specifically, we’re here to understand how the conflict has impacted access to clean water, a fundamental right that’s become a daily struggle for survival for many of the families in the region.
In Shinde, just 40 kilometres from one of the conflict lines, we find ourselves among a sea of tents, home to hundreds of families seeking refuge. Here we meet 10-year-old Ahmed, whose words send us on a mission within a mission. “I’m tired of spending my day searching for smelly water,” he tells us.
Ahmed explains that the “smelly water” comes from a pipe leading from the city. Hearing him describe the water he has been consuming as “smelly” is an immediate concern, one that we know we need to get to the bottom of.
A system under pressure
Consuming contaminated water can be deadly for children – water and sanitation related diseases remain among the leading causes of death in children under five. Particularly during conflicts, as infrastructure comes under direct or indirect attack, a lack of potable water or adequate sanitation and hygiene facilities, mean children – especially those already suffering from malnutrition and weakened immune systems – become even more susceptible to water-borne diseases.
So, we follow the pipe that Ahmed mentioned, leading us on a three-kilometre trek past numerous checkpoints and through crowded streets. The sheer number of people here was striking – many were internally displaced persons who weren’t in camps but instead were staying with relatives in the town. It was already clear that the massive displacement would be placing an enormous strain on an already buckling system.
The pipe eventually led us to the Shinde water treatment plant and boreholes, which draw water directly from the Nile river and groundwater. There, we met Yasir, a water engineer. He showed us a solar-powered backup system installed by UNICEF for a borehole, which has been a lifeline in a city grappling with the massive influx of displaced people. “We’re overwhelmed,” he explains. “The number of people in our town needing water has tripled.”
Yasir says that the damage to a critical dam meant the town was no longer able to provide the water needed for so many more people. “We need more backup power so we can provide water when the electricity goes out,” he says. “But I’ll stay and serve my people with the water they need. They’ll die otherwise.”
Emergency measures
Shinde’s plight isn’t unique. In Dongola, the capital of Northern State, we meet 11-year-old Nashwa. “We haven’t had water at our house for the last three days due to the power cut,” she explains. “We need water at home and school, not just for drinking, but also for bathing and washing our hands.”
Said, director general of the state water company in Dongola, explains the difficult reality facing residents. “We’re declaring an emergency,” he tells us, adding that power outages have meant water was being rationed across the city, impacting households and healthcare facilities.
Said expresses gratitude for UNICEF’s support in replacing some electricity units, providing a crucial backup for essential services like kidney dialysis centers and the main hospital. But more support is clearly needed.
Multi-pronged response
Our journey continues to Wadi Halfa, near the border with Egypt. The population here has grown dramatically in recent months, jumping from around 20,000 people in 2023, to more than 100,000 now as families have fled the fighting. We wrap up our 10-day mission in UNICEF’s field office in Atbara, where we reflect on what we have seen and what needs to be done.
Over the course of the trip, we visited 13 towns and cities, meeting countless children like Ahmed. UNICEF provided some $15 million worth of essential supplies in 2024 including water pumps, tanks, and water purification tablets for households. But it was abundantly clear during the trip that we need to continue to do more than deliver supplies – many localities clearly need maintenance teams to ensure consistent power supply. UNICEF is now deploying these teams with support from a group of UNICEF WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) extenders. The teams are installing generators and solar-powered backup systems as well optimizing water treatment systems. UNICEF is scaling up its WASH response in 2025.
We also need to focus on storage, including by providing bladders and other water tanks so that water can be stored safely at different points in the network, and reducing leakage – around 40 per cent of water in some areas is being lost due to leakage. Addressing all these issues with partners, and engaging with the private sector, will bring significant benefits for communities.
UNICEF is committed to making the water less smelly – and in turn safer – for children like Ahmed and Nashwa. Water is not just a resource; it’s a fundamental human right and a lifeline – one we must protect for the millions of children displaced by the conflict in Sudan and the communities they’re turning to.
Samuel Godfrey is Chief of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) for UNICEF Sudan.
