The African Development Bank (AfDB) recently allocated $31.3 million to Sudan. The funds are intended to finance a rural drinking water and sanitation project in North and South Kordofan, two states in southern Sudan.
Drinking water supplies are expected to improve in Sudan’s North and South Kordofan states soon. This is thanks to a $31.3 million financing recently approved by the African Development Bank (AfDB) after approval by the Board of Directors of this pan-African financial institution.
The $30 million comes from the African Development Fund (ADF), the AfDB’s concessional loan facility. Through the Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Initiative (RWSSI) Trust Fund, the AfDB also provided a grant of US$ 1.3 million. The $31.3 million will be used to upgrade water and sanitation facilities in rural areas in North and South Kordofan.
“The project will improve livelihoods and strengthen resilience to climate change in both states, including nomadic communities, by improving the reliability of water and sanitation services and strengthening the public health system for some 435,000 people,” said the AfDB.
It will also reduce drinking water rates in both states. According to the AfDB, water is currently costing between 9 and 12 times more in these states than in other parts of Sudan. This reflects the region’s lagging drinking water supply. It is partly due to an armed rebellion that hinders the development of South Kordofan. This shows how much hope the AfDB’s financing represents in this region with its particularly arid climate.
Supply efforts will also benefit the economy in the rural areas concerned, including cattle breeding. The AfDB estimates that the upgrading of drinking water facilities will provide water for 300,000 livestock.
Jean Marie Takouleu
