Port Sudan families can barely afford water as shortages persist

What the report says

Families in Port Sudan, Sudan, are struggling to pay for water as shortages continue to pressure households already weakened by war and displacement, according to Al Jazeera. In the Deim Mayo neighborhood, residents who are not connected to the piped network depend on street vendors, and one mother interviewed by the outlet said her water bill can consume her entire monthly salary. The report says hotter months make the situation worse as prices rise and vendors become harder to find.

Al Jazeera links the crisis to Sudan’s broader conflict, which began in April 2023, and to damage to infrastructure in the eastern port city. The collapse of the Arbaat Dam in August 2024, caused by heavy rainfall and flooding, damaged pipelines and wells and cut off a major water source for the city. The influx of displaced people has also increased demand on a system that the African Development Bank says was meeting less than 40 percent of need.

The article says repairs have restored some supply, including boreholes, new pipelines and solar-powered pumps, with support from the UN Development Programme. But those efforts are still not enough for a city now estimated by the UNDP to have about one million people. Additional water projects backed by the African Development Bank and UNICEF are intended to expand access further.

Health workers quoted by Al Jazeera warned that the shortages raise the risk of waterborne disease, worsen hygiene conditions and strain hospitals that need dependable water for basic care.