Essential water facility demolished in war-torn Sudan

(MENAFN) The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have destroyed Khartoum state’s main water quality testing laboratory, dealing a severe blow to vital infrastructure amid Sudan’s ongoing civil war, a senior official revealed.

Mohamed Ali al-Ajab, director general of the Khartoum State Water Corporation, told Sudan Tribune that the RSF demolished the al-Mugran laboratory, which was the largest facility in the region and crucial for analyzing Nile and groundwater samples for both public and private sectors. The lab was valued at around $1 million.

Ajab also reported the loss of approximately 454 vehicles, including cars, mobile tankers, cranes, and excavators. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has already provided spare parts worth $77,000, with an additional shipment valued at $223,000 on the way.

Since the fighting began in April 2023 between the RSF and Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), all water stations in Khartoum state have faced severe disruptions, with only one plant remaining fully operational. Six out of 12 major plants have partially resumed service, but Khartoum North’s (Bahri) facility—capable of processing 300,000 cubic meters daily—remains only partly functional due to extensive damage.

Ajab detailed the destruction at Bahri, including the loss of over 17 km of cables, 61 control panels, nine transformers, and three pumps thrown into the Nile River.

Estimates of deaths in Khartoum state during the conflict vary, with research indicating over 61,000 fatalities in the first 14 months, while local media report figures as high as 130,000.

In a related cultural loss, the RSF reportedly looted nearly all archaeological gold from Khartoum’s National Museum, devastating a collection that chronicled Sudanese history from the Stone Age through the Islamic era. Experts described the damage as a “historical catastrophe,” with approximately 90% of the artifacts destroyed.

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