World Vision Sudan restores water to host communities and IDPs

In October 2022, over 5,600 people fled to Shamar area from their homes due to the tribal conflict that erupted in the Blue Nile State. Some Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) were welcomed and hosted by the local community while others went to settle in the Ban Jadid IDPs camp. Shamar area is located in the Damazine Locality and has a population of over 26,000 people.

Shamar area always had water insecurity issues even before the IDPs arrived and relied on a water station located two hours away and a nearby river. According to Sheikh Abdulraheem, a leader in the Shamar community, the river water was dirty and untreated, posing a potential risk of drinking contaminated water and drowning for children when they went to fetch water.

For the residents of Shamar, a solution to their water problem came in February 2023 when World Vision Sudan, in partnership with the Sudan Humanitarian Fund began a project in the area with hopes of securing water for IDPs and host communities.

World Vision’s staff, Adam Mohammed, described the transformative efforts undertaken in Shamar: "We restored the groundwater station, installed new water pumps and taps, and contributed to the construction of a new solar power unit. Additionally, we repaired the electricity generator, ensuring that both host communities and IDPs could benefit from these improvements."

World Vision also intervened in other Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) activities including building 22 latrines for IDPs at the Ban Jadid camp and providing soap and hygiene kits for women and girls in the community.

Seventy-five percent of the Shamar community now has access to clean and safe drinking water, significantly reducing the risk of illnesses caused by consuming contaminated water and easing the burden on women who previously had to travel long distances to fetch water for their households.

Samira, a displaced woman from Madina who resettled in Ban Jadid IDP camp with her family, vividly remembers the challenges they initially faced upon arriving in the Shamar area. She recalls, “When we first arrived, there was no water supply in the camp. We had to walk for two hours just to fetch water for drinking and household chores. The water point was always crowded, and there were times when I returned home without any water.”

The new water station has brought immense joy to the lives of the IDPs of Ban Jadid. “Life was incredibly challenging without access to a nearby water point. Women had to walk long distances to fetch water, but now they have it right close to their homes,” according to community leader, Sheikh Osman.