Darfur Crisis: War and Water
In Western Sudan’s Darfur region, water is one of the most difficult resources to come by. The region’s arid landscape is characterized by consistently hot weather and very little rainfall. A small number of intermittent rivers flow through the region, filling up only occasionally during the rainy season months of June to October. Darfur is rich in culture and history, encompassing civilizations that have spanned centuries. But in the last few decades, Darfur has been ravaged by conflict, competition, and genocide over control of the region’s scarce water supply. The World Food Program has called the crisis in Darfur the “first climate change conflict.” As war in Sudan rages on and climate change continues to desertify the African Sahel, Darfur is in a precarious position to find, extract, and distribute much needed water.
Scarcity of water supplies causes many of Darfur’s ethnic communities to migrate in search of food and livestock. Historically, this has led to violent competition along ethnic and tribal lines and was a major cause of the Darfur Genocide. The war that erupted in much of Sudan in April 2023 presents stark challenges for Darfur. With no robust security apparatus in place Darfurians remain vulnerable to attacks. The situation is especially dire as the two warring factions in the country have both been responsible for committing humanitarian crimes in the region, leading many to inhabit internally displaced people camps (IDPs). West Darfur’s capital city of Al-Geneina has suffered exceptionally as a result of the war, with Doctors Without Borders (Médecins Sans Frontières – MSF) saying that at least 500 people have been killed in and around the city and potentially thousands more have been injured.
The Wishing Well Company team on the ground in Darfur, Sudan providing clean and accessible drinking water to an elementary school.
Much needed Infrastructure in Darfur cannot be rebuilt without a complete cessation of hostilities. Since 2003, there has not been a lapse in conflict sufficient enough for medical centers and food storage facilities to reach functional capacity. It is not solely an issue of the persistent looting that takes place at these facilities, although the theft of food and crucial supplies has become increasingly worse since the war began earlier this year. Water is necessary to operate in hospitals and other medical centers as it plays a vital role in treating patients. Moreover, water is needed to maintain and operate the equipment that keeps food fresh and disease-free.
The issue of water in Darfur is as much a gender-based issue as it is an environmental one. Young girls and women are tasked with trekking miles across the harsh terrain to acquire water from distant water pumps. Along the way, they may pass through opposing tribal lands and endanger themselves to the warfare of embattled areas. Furthermore, they are often subject to sexual violence and kidnapping. This journey takes away valuable time from the life of a young woman that could otherwise be spent performing other tasks or activities, such as pursuing education. By building new wells closer to communities and villages, young girls and women would not have to undergo the dangerous journeys to collect water, thereby, allowing them to spend more time with their families and loved ones.
The Fathia Ali Osman Wishing Well established by The Wishing Well Company in Al-Geneina, Darfur.
In recent years, communities in Darfur have tapped into groundwater reserves as an alternative to unpredictable patterns of rainfall and flooding. However, accessing groundwater is challenging due to the cost of specialized equipment needed to dig deep boreholes in remote areas. Funding from international NGOs and non-profit organizations is important for delivering and constructing equipment and wells. However, lack of maintenance causes wells to fail in providing safe drinking water. Many costs can be saved by refurbishing already-existing wells.
In Darfur, where impoverishment is a result of water inaccessibility, groundwater extraction and building wells can spur economic growth by employing locals in the process. It also eliminates the need for traveling long, treacherous journeys to acquire water. The quest for water has the potential to bring Darfur’s people together by fostering cooperation, providing opportunities for employment, and hydrating an entire region. To begin to maximize the beneficial potential of water projects in Darfur, there needs to be a complete cessation of hostilities aided by international and concerted efforts to bring peace. This will ensure that protections are afforded to water extraction sites and that the distribution thereof is equitably managed. Only then can Darfurians focus on safely pursuing the most vital resource in life.