Port Sudan families can barely afford water amid persistent shortages

Port Sudan, Sudan – In the Deim Mayo neighbourhood, a family headed by Amina Khalafallah spends 10,000 Sudanese pounds a day—equivalent to $1 at the parallel market rate—on water for herself and four children, a sum that equals her entire monthly salary of 300,000 pounds ($30). The price, charged by street vendors who provide 18 litres for 1,000 pounds, forces the household to divert all of its earnings solely to sustaining its basic water needs.

“We make sure to set aside money for water in the summer before covering our other household needs, even if that means going without some essentials,” Khalafallah told Al Jazeera. The interview highlighted that the family borrows money when they do not have enough cash on hand, a common practice across the city.

Without a piped network, thousands of Port Sudan residents rely on the same street‑vendor system, which has become the sole route for potable water due to damaged infrastructure. The United Nations Development Programme reports that the more than three‑year‑old war has pushed average incomes toward levels last seen in the early 1990s, leaving low‑income families with little economic cushion.

The African Development Bank has identified safe water access as one of Sudan’s most urgent needs, noting that millions of children face risks of waterborne diseases. In Port Sudan, the AfDB released preliminary estimates that the city’s water supply was meeting less than 40 percent of demand, putting public health at heightened risk.

One of the city’s primary challenges has been the collapse of the Arbaat Dam, which formerly supplied half of the coastal city’s daily water needs. In August 2024, heavy rainfall and flooding caused the dam to give way, destroying downstream villages and damaging key pipelines and wells. The event further weakened an already fragile distribution network.

As the war draws more displaced people into Port Sudan, local authorities and aid workers have been scrambling to restore services. Initial repair efforts have met low levels of success, and the remaining supply still falls short of covering the increasing demands. The lack of a reliable infrastructure has forced residents—many of whom live in temporary housing—to turn to costly street vendors for water.

According to Khalafallah, “In the hotter months, water prices rise even higher and vendors become harder to find.” She added that the city’s population shift has added pressure to the water grid that was already under strain from war damage and infrastructure collapse. The city has seen a uptick in the number of families forced to move from rural areas to the city as a result of the armed conflict spread across eastern Sudan.

In order to cope, many families in Port Sudan set aside a specific portion of their incomes each month for water purchases, often before they could pay for other household items. The option to sacrifice other necessities in order to secure water exemplifies the residents’ vulnerabilities and the cost of surviving in a disrupted environment.

For her part, Khalafallah works in a cafeteria at a private institution while her husband, who is employed in another state, sends money back to their household when possible. Despite the family’s combined efforts, the water expenses still eclipsed all other expenditures, rendering the family’s financial planning extremely fluid and reactive to changing water costs.

The city’s water shortages and high prices continue to affect residents amid a broader picture of war, displacement and infrastructure collapse. While ongoing restoration efforts have attempted to address the supply deficit, recent reports and data suggest less than half of the city’s water demand is being met, underscoring the urgent need for more comprehensive water and public‑health interventions across Port Sudan.