The African Development Bank (AfDB), in partnership with UNICEF, has launched a US$54.8 million emergency water and sanitation programme to restore critical water infrastructure and improve sanitation services in Sudan’s eastern city of Port Sudan, as the country confronts one of Africa’s most severe humanitarian and public health crises.
Financed through the African Development Fund (ADF), the initiative aims to provide safe drinking water to approximately 750,000 people, including around 600,000 residents of Port Sudan, more than one-third of whom are internally displaced following the conflict that has devastated much of the country. The project will also improve sanitation services for an estimated 200,000 people while extending support to conflict-affected communities in North and South Kordofan. The project, officially launched on 9 June, represents one of the largest recent investments in Sudan’s water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) sector and reflects growing international efforts to address deteriorating public infrastructure that has left millions vulnerable to disease outbreaks, food insecurity and worsening humanitarian conditions.
Port Sudan has become the country’s principal humanitarian and administrative hub following the outbreak of conflict in 2023. As thousands of displaced families have sought refuge in the coastal city, demand for essential services has increased sharply, placing enormous strain on already fragile infrastructure. According to project partners, existing water supply systems currently satisfy less than 40% of the city’s total water demand, creating acute shortages for both host communities and displaced populations. Limited access to safe drinking water has significantly increased the risk of waterborne diseases, particularly among children. Cholera, acute watery diarrhoea and other preventable illnesses continue to threaten vulnerable communities where sanitation systems have deteriorated and clean water remains scarce.
According to UNICEF, children are disproportionately affected whenever water and sanitation systems collapse. Beyond the immediate health consequences, inadequate access to water contributes to school absenteeism, increased protection risks and deteriorating nutritional outcomes, particularly for internally displaced families already facing multiple vulnerabilities.
“Children in Sudan are paying the highest price of this crisis,” said Sheldon Yett. “When water systems fail, children are the first to suffer from disease, from missed school, and from heightened protection risks. Together with the African Development Bank Group and partners, we are restoring life-saving services and helping communities cope with the scale of this emergency.”
Under the programme, UNICEF will oversee implementation of several priority interventions designed to restore essential water services while strengthening longer-term institutional resilience. Activities include rehabilitating damaged water sources, pipelines and distribution networks; expanding sanitation facilities; promoting safe hygiene practices; strengthening the operational capacity of local water authorities; and ensuring that vulnerable populations, particularly displaced families and children, receive reliable access to essential services.
The project also places considerable emphasis on building climate-resilient infrastructure capable of withstanding increasing environmental pressures. Sudan faces multiple climate-related challenges, including prolonged droughts, erratic rainfall, flooding and rising temperatures, all of which compound the effects of conflict by placing additional stress on already limited water resources.
“This project responds to an urgent and growing need,” said David Muthusi Mutuku. “By combining immediate action with longer-term investments, we are providing climate-resilient, sustainable solutions to help ensure that communities under pressure can access safe, reliable water.”
The investment highlights the increasingly close relationship between humanitarian assistance and long-term development financing. Rather than focusing exclusively on emergency relief, international development institutions are increasingly investing in resilient infrastructure capable of supporting recovery while reducing future vulnerability to both conflict and climate shocks.
According to the World Health Organization, access to safe water and adequate sanitation remains one of the most effective public health interventions available, significantly reducing the incidence of infectious diseases while improving educational attendance, nutrition and economic productivity. Every improvement in water access generates wider social and economic benefits that extend well beyond the immediate humanitarian response. Sudan’s water sector has faced mounting pressures over several years, with conflict damaging infrastructure, disrupting maintenance programmes and limiting institutional capacity. Population displacement has further intensified demand in relatively stable urban centres such as Port Sudan, where municipal services have struggled to keep pace with rapidly growing populations.
The expansion of water and sanitation infrastructure is therefore expected not only to improve living conditions for displaced households but also to reduce pressure on host communities that have absorbed large numbers of internally displaced people since the conflict began. The project also aligns with the African Development Bank’s broader High 5 development priorities, particularly the objective of improving quality of life for Africans through investments in basic infrastructure, climate resilience and human development. Water security has become an increasingly important area of investment for the Bank as African countries confront rising urbanisation, population growth and climate variability.
According to the African Development Bank, strengthening water infrastructure is fundamental to achieving broader economic transformation. Reliable water systems support not only public health but also agriculture, industrial production, education, healthcare delivery and private-sector investment, making them central to sustainable development strategies across the continent. Climate resilience has also become a defining feature of infrastructure investment across Africa. The continent contributes only a small share of global greenhouse gas emissions yet remains among the regions most vulnerable to climate-related disasters. Investments in resilient water systems are increasingly viewed as essential adaptation measures capable of protecting communities against future droughts, floods and changing rainfall patterns.
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The initiative further reflects growing collaboration between multilateral development banks and United Nations agencies in responding to complex emergencies where humanitarian needs and development challenges intersect. Such partnerships combine financial resources with technical expertise and operational capacity, improving the effectiveness of interventions in fragile and conflict-affected settings. For Africa, Sudan’s experience illustrates the growing importance of resilient infrastructure in safeguarding development gains during periods of crisis. Water security has become both a humanitarian imperative and an economic necessity, influencing health outcomes, social stability, education, food security and long-term economic recovery.
As conflicts, climate change and rapid urbanisation continue to place increasing pressure on essential public services across the continent, investments that restore and strengthen water and sanitation infrastructure are likely to become an even more significant component of Africa’s development agenda. The African Development Bank and UNICEF’s latest partnership demonstrates how coordinated financing, institutional collaboration and climate-resilient infrastructure can help address immediate humanitarian needs while laying foundations for more sustainable and resilient recovery.
