Khartoum, August 31 (Darfur24)
The Emergency Lawyers group has warned of a worsening water crisis in Sudan’s Darfur and Kordofan regions, as the combined effects of war, damage to water infrastructure and declining rainfall threaten to deepen humanitarian, health and food insecurity.
In a statement, the group said it was closely monitoring the deterioration of water supplies in the two regions, where declining rainfall has reduced groundwater recharge and lowered water levels in wells, boreholes and seasonal sources relied upon by communities and livestock.
The group said the crisis has been compounded by damage to water infrastructure, including the targeting and destruction of dams, reservoirs and water stations, as well as solar panels and other systems used to power water pumps. Water transport vehicles have also reportedly been targeted or obstructed.
The decline in water sources has reduced available supplies and well productivity while driving up water prices, forcing residents in some areas to rely on unsafe sources, increasing the risk of waterborne diseases.
The group warned that water scarcity is also threatening agriculture, livestock and local livelihoods, potentially worsening food insecurity and increasing displacement and migration.
It cautioned that continued conflict, destruction of water infrastructure, declining rainfall and falling groundwater levels could trigger what it described as a “disaster of thirst, hunger and a wider health crisis,” particularly as restrictions on population movement continue to hamper the delivery of food, water and humanitarian assistance.
Emergency Lawyers said deliberately using water deprivation or destroying water sources and facilities to pressure civilians or force them to flee amounts to using essential means of survival as a weapon of conflict.
The group called on all parties to immediately stop attacks on water sources, dams, reservoirs, pumping stations and their power systems, protect existing infrastructure, and urgently repair and rehabilitate damaged facilities.