After the recent violence in Malakal, Medair sends an emergency water team to help prevent an outbreak of cholera.

Medair evacuated its staff from Malakal on 29th November, after violent clashes erupted between southern troops and pro-government forces. Despite ongoing security concerns, Medair has now returned to Malakal with an emergency water team, because the town's 200,000 residents are facing the possibility of a massive cholera outbreak. In partnership with UNICEF, the Medair team plans to set up two Emergency Mobile Water Treatment Systems (EMWTS), which will be able to provide up to 80,000 litres of clean water per day.

Many reports have described the recent conflict in Malakal - the capital of Upper Nile state - as the worst outbreak of violence in southern Sudan since the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement in January 2005. Over 150 people were killed, and many hundreds were wounded. The UN were forced to organise the emergency withdrawal of approximately 240 UN and INGO staff. However, on Saturday 9th December, Medair sent its emergency team back to Malakal to begin preparations for an emergency response to the dire water situation that was developing.

The water emergency stems from the fact that most people in this former garrison town collect their water untreated, directly from the Nile. There have been an increasing number of cholera victims in the area, and this increase has been connected to reports of corpses from the recent conflict that are polluting the river water. As a result, there are fears of a massive outbreak of cholera and acute watery diarrhoea within the town population.

With these immense humanitarian needs in mind, Medair decided that it must respond to the situation in Malakal, while carefully monitoring the security concerns. It is partnering with UNICEF to install the two EMWTS, at locations agreed upon with the local authorities. By focusing on traditional water-collection sites, the benefits of the clean water will be maximised for the local population.

An EMWTS consists essentially of a big tank into which raw water is pumped. A coagulant is added to speed up sedimentation, and the water is then disinfected using chlorine. From there, the treated water is gravitated to a series of taps where it can be collected, typically in buckets and jerry-cans. A local team of technicians will be trained to maintain the system after Medair has left.

"Medair has been one of the active partners of UNICEF in the front of fighting cholera in southern Sudan this year, by ensuring access to safe water in different locations like Yei, Bor, and now in Malakal," said Abdulkadir Musse, UNICEF's Resident Program Officer in Malakal. "UNICEF looks forward to maintaining and strengthening this crucial partnership between the two agencies."

For more details, please contact: Lisa Zulauf Sudan (southern Sudan), Desk Officer (English, German) Phone: +41 (0)21 694 3535 lisa.zulauf(at)medair.org

Medair is an international non-governmental organisation (NGO), based in Switzerland. It has worked in Sudan since 1992. In Upper Nile state, Medair is currently preparing to distribute essential Non-Food Items to over one thousand families recently returned to the area, as well as increasing access to primary health care and safe water points. These projects are carried out in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, the World Health Organisation, and UNICEF. They receive financial support from the Humanitarian Aid department of the European Union (ECHO), the United States Agency for International Development (USAID/OFDA), and the United Kingdom's Department for International Development (DfID).

Elsewhere in southern Sudan, Medair provides emergency medical and water assistance for outbreaks, large people movements, and nutritional emergencies, as well as improving access to primary health care and safe water sources in a number of locations across the region. In the northern states, Medair provides access to primary health care, water and sanitation for up to 200,000 conflict-affected persons in West Darfur; works with war-displaced people in Khartoum; and supports access to primary health care in the Nuba Mountains in South Kordofan.

Medair's life-saving activities are dependent upon private financial support. To contribute to this work, please visit www.medair.org (Sudan section)

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