Severe Water Crisis in Khartoum Threatens Hundreds of Thousands with Water Shortages

The Khartoum State Government announced on Monday that neighborhoods and villages in southern Omdurman are experiencing a severe shortage of drinking water due to a significant drop in the Nile River’s water level, as authorities work to address a crisis that could leave hundreds of thousands of residents in Sudan’s capital without adequate water supplies.

Social media users circulated photos and videos showing large sandbanks emerging in the Blue Nile as water levels receded.

In a statement, the Khartoum State Government said that the sharp decline in the river’s water level had caused the intake pumps at the Al-Salha Water Station to cease operating, resulting in severe drinking water shortages in several neighborhoods and villages south of Omdurman locality.

The Blue Nile’s water level typically declines during May and June each year. However, this appears to be the first time in recent years that such a significant drop has occurred in July, a situation attributed to delayed rainfall and the reduced flow of seasonal rivers feeding the Nile.