As the world celebrates the World Water Day, many people remain in dire need for potable water in Darfur’s rural areas. The major part of their struggle have been attributed to dispute over water amongst other factors between sedentary farmers and pastoralists’ communities.

The main dominant geographical feature of Darfur is dry topography, with flat plains and few mountains scattered. The absence of perpetual potable water sources necessitates humans and animals in rural areas to stay within reach of water source to meet their water needs. In the bigger towns, with high population, the influx of the internally displaced persons (IDPs) overstrains water wells and boreholes more than in less inhabited areas.

Darfur landscape varies from arid desert to alluvial and volcanic stones. Some areas, however, are utterly rich in ground water such as waterbeds (Wadis). For example, Masteri locality in West Darfur is one of these areas with Wadis stretched long distance from the mountains in the southwestern part of the town. The city is situated between two Wadis rich of ground water, bordered with green straps of trees mostly Mango. The Wadis converge at the northern part, making a peninsula out of the town. These Wadis are considered to be major suppliers for water in Masteri.

Almost all water hand-dug wells and boreholes are in these two Wadis and in their vicinity, yet they are unprotected. Consequently, the water is unhygienic and prone to contamination and transmission of waterborne diseases. According to a report form World Health Organization dated back to 2004, West Darfur was the most affected area with 66% cases of Hepatitis E, out of 2431 cases reported by health clinics in Darfur region.

In 2012, UNAMID Military Component, Sector West, made great efforts to address water issues to end suffering of population in Masteri. A water network was constructed to provide clean water to locality’s market and the western and southern part of the town. Due to sustainability issues, the project did not last for long. Absence of maintaining water sources contributed to deterioration of water and sanitation in the area.

“Maintenance cost of the project was high. The locality in Masteri could not afford to sustain it” said Mohamed Arbab, a member in the Water Committee in the locality. UNAMID provided a generator to help pump the clean water out of the borehole near the Wadi to the newly introduced water network. “People in the east and southeast parts are suffering the most. Their soil is rocky. The West and southwest sides are better, as they fetch water form UNAMID borehole” he added. He said there are 15 hand pumps in Masteri, but only four of them operate at the moment.

The town of Masteri is located 65 Kilometers southern west El Geneina, West Darfur, and bordering the Sudanese Chadian border. The strategic location facilitated trade movement and intermingling between the local population in the town and people from neighboring villages in Chad. It also allowed the refugees from Hajar Hadid camp in Chad to frequently exchange visits with relatives and send their children to attend school in Masteri.

Similarly, many other towns and villages in Darfur are semi desert with limited water sources, which are either hand-dug wells in the Wadis or boreholes that often dry in midsummer. Water remains a vital issue that keeps troubling most people in the town and the surrounding settlements. Amid the dry season, herders escape the open rangelands with livestock to Wadis in search of shade and water. This overburdens boreholes in the nearby Wadis. 

As humanitarian initiative, some police advisers and military observers in UNAMID constructed a borehole in Tatarona IDP camp across Masteri Wadi, in March 2016. The project aims to help alleviate the suffering of the displaced in the camp by reducing their need for commuting to far places, especially women and children, in quest of fetching water for their daily needs. “We came up with this initiative in response to the people’s need here” said Mr. Hafeni Nashidengo, Operation Officer, UNAMID’s Police in Masteri Team Site. He explained that in midsummer water goes deeper and as a result people are forced to travel further to find water, which puts them at risk. UNAMID also rehabilitated water dams (rihoods(, funded by the Government of Japan, in different parts of Darfur to store rain water the dry seasons.

Water scarcity has been one of the key challenges in Darfur amongst many other factors in stimulating the conflict in the region. Addressing water issues could greatly contributes to achieving sustainable peace in Darfur.