Sudan/People and Projects

Safe drinking water in the Blue Nile

(10 February 2005)

man in well

Sudan's Blue Nile region is rich in natural resources, but civil war and lack of investment have left it in poverty. IR is providing safe drinking water and improving sanitation facilities in the area. This section contains photos of wells dug by IR in the Blue Nile region.

A Sudanese man from the Blue Nile fills a bucket with water from a freshly dug well. Water sources in the Blue Nile are slowly disappearing as the dry season gets longer every year.

Providing safe drinking water

A woman from the Blue Nile carries home water for her family

A woman from the Blue Nile fetches water for her family. War and drought have taken their toll on the people of the Blue Nile, nearly a fifth of the Blue Nile's population have fled their homes.

Little access to water

A Sudanese family get water from a well dug by IR staff

A family get water from a well dug by IR staff. More than three-quarters of the people living in the Blue Nile have no access to clean drinking water.

Six hours

Two Sudanese women from the Blue Nile carry water home. In the summer months, women spend six hours a day looking for water.

Hand pumps

The majority of the population get water from streams, valleys, and open wells that often dry up in the summer months. IR is installing several hand pumps in the Blue Nile region to provide a more stable and cleaner water supply.

Wells

Lack of clean drinking water has left the population vulnerable to diseases, especially women and children. These girls are on their way to fetch water from one of IR's wells.