The city of El Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan State, is facing a severe water crisis following the breakdown of water pumps and attacks on energy infrastructure.
The worsening situation has forced residents to rely on wells and water tankers at high prices. At the same time, disruptions to major roads have made it difficult for food supplies and fuel to reach the city, contributing to sharp increases in prices across local markets.
Adel Al-Tayeb, a resident of the Al-Salihin area, told Mashaweer that the city’s main water station in Al-Dankoj, north of El Obeid, had been destroyed. He added that another water station in the southern part of the city stopped operating after electricity was cut off following the shelling and destruction of the main electricity substation, which caught fire. Fuel depots were also attacked, leaving the city in darkness and bringing water pumping operations to a complete halt.
Al-Tayeb said that the price of a jerrycan of drinking water has become prohibitively expensive, forcing many residents to leave the city in search of areas with better access to water.
Meanwhile, Kawthar Taha, who was displaced from the town of Bara to El Obeid, described the water shortage as “catastrophic.”
She told Mashaweer:
> “We are living in tragic conditions inside flimsy tents, while food prices continue to rise, security remains absent, and now the drinking water crisis has become yet another chapter of our suffering.”
The mother of seven added:
> “If this water crisis continues much longer, displaced people could face death from thirst.”
