Face of Truth: Al-Safa Water… Awaiting the Decision!
Ibrahim Shglawi
Khartoum State is going through one of the most delicate phases in its history, where service breakdowns intertwine with complex security and political challenges, casting a dark shadow over citizens’ daily lives. Among these crises, the water shortage emerges as one of the most pressing and painful, especially in Karari locality – Al-Safa neighborhood, located west of Al-Wadi Street near the Hattana police station. Here, water is no longer a naturally available resource, but a costly commodity that weighs heavily on low-income families.
The “Al-Manara” station, one of the main water supply sources in the area, relies entirely on electricity. With the repeated targeting of infrastructure by the Rapid Support Forces militia, the station ceased operations, leading to severe humanitarian consequences. Bakeries shut down, long queues formed for water tankers, and water became a daily survival struggle.
In Al-Safa, residents relied almost solely on the well in Block 20, which also went out of service due to its limited design capacity. As a result, the cost of a barrel of water skyrocketed to over thirty thousand Sudanese pounds, in a neighborhood where most people live on daily wages or fixed pensions that do not match the soaring cost of living.
In response to this painful reality, the neighborhood’s popular committee proposed a practical and sustainable solution: drilling a groundwater well within the neighborhood. The committee expressed full readiness to cooperate with the state government—whether through community contributions or technical coordination—in a move that reflects public awareness and a genuine desire to overcome the crisis.
However, like many other local initiatives, this proposal remains in limbo, awaiting a clear administrative decision and logistical support from the relevant authorities. Notably, other neighborhoods in Karari locality have successfully drilled wells with community funding, proving that this solution is realistic—if met with political will and executive support.
The visit of Khartoum State Governor, Ahmed Othman Hamza, to the Bayt Al-Mal and Al-Manara stations, among others, indicated official recognition of the scale of the catastrophe. Yet this awareness has not materialized into a practical plan to restore water to the affected neighborhoods. The governor’s promises remain mere statements, while Al-Safa residents complain of being “the first to lose water and the last to receive it when supply resumes.”
Residents of Al-Safa, who have clung to their homes despite war and shelling, had no option but to turn to the press to voice their suffering, after the silence of the local administration. For them, the water outage is no longer just a service issue—it has become a stark symptom of the failure in emergency management and crisis response.
This war, which uses infrastructure destruction as a tactic to weaken the state, requires an unconventional response. Dependence on electricity alone to operate water stations is no longer viable. It is now essential to provide alternative energy sources such as generators or solar power systems, and to develop an emergency operating plan to ensure continuity of service.
The water crisis in Khartoum has transcended local concern and become a serious indicator of weak governance in wartime. In Al-Safa, water has become a test for the state: Can it safeguard this most basic of rights, or will it leave citizens at the mercy of thirst and exploitation?
From the lens of #Face_of_Truth, the post-war challenges require a new model of governance. There is no longer room for delayed promises or temporary relief. What is needed now are bold decisions that restore water to the people—and trust in state institutions. Water is not merely a source of life; it is a pillar of social stability and national security.
Water charity holds immense virtue; without water, life would not be possible. As the Almighty said:
“And We made from water every living thing” [Qur’an, 21:30].
The loss of this resource in Al-Safa today not only threatens physical health, but also undermines social cohesion and weakens the spirit of solidarity.
Yet, the residents’ willingness to unite and drill wells on their own proves that hope remains alive—when public will meets official action.
The people are still waiting, Governor.
Sunday, May 25, 2025
Shglawi55@gmail.com