STORY: Sudan's Omdurman city faces drinking water crisis due to paramilitary forces' attack on dam 
SHOOTING TIME: Jan. 18, 2025
DATELINE: Jan. 19, 2025
LENGTH: 00:03:14
LOCATION: OMDURMAN, Sudan
CATEGORY: SOCIETY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of citizens lining up to get water 
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (Arabic): YASSIR MOHAMMED, Sudanese citizen
3. various of citizens lining up to get water 
4. SOUNDBITE 2 (Arabic): IMAD BASHIR, Sudanese citizen
5. various of citizens lining up to get water 
6. SOUNDBITE 3 (Arabic): SORAN SHIHAB AL-DIN, Sudanese citizen

STORYLINE:

Omdurman city, north of the Sudanese capital Khartoum, has been facing a significant drinking water crisis over the past five days due to the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces' (RSF) attack on the Merowe Dam in Northern State, local authorities said Saturday.

"Due to the complete interruption of electricity supply, a water crisis occurred as the Nile stations and wells went out of service," the Khartoum State government said in a statement, attributing the power outage and water shortage to the RSF drone attack on the Merowe Dam, a hydroelectric dam on the Nile River.

"We are making intensive efforts to implement some urgent solutions to address the drinking water crisis," it added.

SOUNDBITE 1 (Arabic): YASSIR MOHAMMED, Sudanese citizen
"We endure great suffering due to the water crisis. We wake up very early, and I do not go out alone. Rather, all the family members accompany me. We leave our homes to search for water."

SOUNDBITE 2 (Arabic): IMAD BASHIR, Sudanese citizen
"It is great suffering. We are suffering from staying up late and searching for water. And the crisis is entirely linked to the electricity issue."

SOUNDBITE 3 (Arabic): SORAN SHIHAB AL-DIN, Sudanese citizen
"The electricity has been cut off for six days. There is no water, and we are also suffering from mosquitoes. We sleep in the yard with mosquito nets."

The Merowe Dam, located about 350 km north of Khartoum, is one of the largest hydropower projects in Africa.

Governor of Khartoum State, Ahmed Osman Hamza, inspected a number of wells in the western districts of Al-Thawra neighborhood, checking the operation of wells with generators, the state's media office said Saturday.

It noted that the governor has instructed authorities to supply citizens with water from Al-Manara water station's reserve.

Meanwhile, Khartoum State Water Corporation said its engineers were working on implementing emergency measures to operate the water wells and restore water flow into the national network.

It revealed that 15 wells have been activated in several neighborhoods, which has significantly contributed to providing water supply to some areas.

Omdurman, Sudan's second most populous city, has seen a surge in population after it became one of the safest areas in the state, prompting thousands of displaced people to move to the city. Amid the severe water shortage, residents have to stand in long queues to obtain water from old wells or water trucks.

Sudan has been gripped by a devastating conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the RSF since mid-April 2023, which claimed at least 29,683 lives and displaced nearly 15 million people, either inside or outside Sudan, according to the latest estimates by international organizations.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Omdurman, Sudan.
(XHTV)