A Sudanese resident carries plastic water containers in Omdurman city, north of the Sudanese capital Khartoum, Jan. 18, 2025. For over a week, the Sudanese capital Khartoum has been witnessing power and water outages, exacerbating the suffering of the citizens who wait for long hours at wells operated by generators to obtain drinking water. (Photo by Mohamed Khidir/Xinhua)

Omdurman city, north of the Sudanese capital Khartoum, has been facing a significant drinking water crisis over the past five days due to the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces' (RSF) attack on the Merowe Dam in Northern State, local authorities said Saturday.

"Due to the complete interruption of electricity supply, a water crisis occurred as the Nile stations and wells went out of service," the Khartoum State government said in a statement, attributing the power outage and water shortage to the RSF drone attack on the Merowe Dam, a hydroelectric dam on the Nile River.

"We are making intensive efforts to implement some urgent solutions to address the drinking water crisis," it added.

The Merowe Dam, located about 350 km north of Khartoum, is one of the largest hydropower projects in Africa.

Governor of Khartoum State, Ahmed Osman Hamza, inspected a number of wells in the western districts of Al-Thawra neighborhood, checking the operation of wells with generators, the state's media office said Saturday.

It noted that the governor has instructed authorities to supply citizens with water from Al-Manara water station's reserve.

Meanwhile, Khartoum State Water Corporation said its engineers were working on implementing emergency measures to operate the water wells and restore water flow into the national network.

It revealed that 15 wells have been activated in several neighborhoods, which has significantly contributed to providing water supply to some areas.

Omdurman, Sudan's second most populous city, has seen a surge in population after it became one of the safest areas in the state, prompting thousands of displaced people to move to the city. Amid the severe water shortage, residents have to stand in long queues to obtain water from old wells or water trucks.

Sudan has been gripped by a devastating conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the RSF since mid-April 2023, which claimed at least 29,683 lives and displaced nearly 15 million people, either inside or outside Sudan, according to the latest estimates by international organizations. ■

Sudanese residents line up to obtain drinking water from a well in Omdurman city, north of the Sudanese capital Khartoum, Jan. 18, 2025. For over a week, the Sudanese capital Khartoum has been witnessing power and water outages, exacerbating the suffering of the citizens who wait for long hours at wells operated by generators to obtain drinking water. (Photo by Mohamed Khidir/Xinhua)