Solar power supplies safe water to refugees and host communities in Sudan’s White Nile State

"الماء هو الحياة." — “Water is life.”

For families in Sudan’s White Nile State, these words capture a daily truth. South Sudanese refugees who fled conflict and the Sudanese families who welcomed them have long faced the same hardship: broken pumps, long queues under the scorching sun, and hours spent searching for just a few litres of clean water.

Children often missed school to fetch water. Mothers rose before dawn to line up at broken water distribution points or walked kilometres under the heat to reach the river, exposing themselves to protection risks. Clinics struggled to treat patients safely without a reliable supply.

Now, this story is being rewritten. With the generous support of the Government of Italy, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency has implemented a large-scale solarization project that is transforming access to clean water for more than 400,000 refugees and host community members across ten refugee camps in White Nile State.

"Now we can drink it without fear, and it’s available just a few steps from our home."

In camps like Al Alagaya, about 35 kilometres from the Joda border with South Sudan, sunlight has become the engine of survival. Solar power now pumps water directly from the River Nile to reserve tanks, where it is chlorinated and purified. From there, an underground network of pipes channels clean water to schools, health facilities, and households.

“Before, the water was very bad (quality) or was not available. We used to struggle every day just to find enough to drink or cook,” says Martha, a 29-year-old South Sudanese refugee mother of five who arrived in the camp in 2023, fleeing conflict in Upper Nile State. “But when people came to help, everything changed - the water became clean. Now we can drink it without fear, and it’s available just a few steps from our home.”

“The water is clean and safe, and it’s not far,” adds Fatima, 27, a health worker in the same refugee camp. “We now see fewer cases of diarrhoea and skin infections among children. It makes a huge difference for the community’s health.”

The impact is visible across the camps. Schools now provide students with safe drinking water. Health centres treat patients in clean and hygienic conditions. Markets are reviving as traders and food vendors benefit from a stable water supply for cooking and small businesses. Most importantly, families finally have water to cook, clean, and drink.

“Now we have enough water, and even food is easier to find” Martha continues. “Life in the camp has become better - we no longer wake up worrying about where to get water. The situation is good.”

Still, challenges remain. Despite major progress, water availability in the camps is yet to meet the global standard of 18 litres per person per day and the SPHERE emergency standard of 15 liters per person per day. More investment is needed to expand storage capacity, extend pipelines, and ensure every family receives enough water. But for communities that once survived on a fraction of that amount, the change already feels transformational.

The project is also strengthening coexistence. South Sudanese refugees and Sudanese host families now share the same water points - a small but powerful act of solidarity that fosters peace and mutual respect.

Turning sunlight to resilience

Crucially, this is a climate-smart solution built for the future. Solarized systems have replaced costly diesel generators, cutting emissions and ensuring uninterrupted supply even when fuel is scarce. Local water committees have been trained to operate and maintain the systems, anchoring sustainability long after installation.

With Italy’s generous support, UNHCR and its partners are not only meeting urgent needs but are investing in dignity, resilience, and climate action in one of Sudan’s most fragile regions due to the ongoing displacement and risks of drought.

“I just want my children to have a good life” Martha concludes. “We have suffered a lot, but I hope the water that now sustains us will also bring them a better future.”

Together, UNHCR and the Government of Italy, through funds channeled via the Directorate General for Italians Abroad and Migration Policies (DGIT), have turned sunlight into resilience for hundreds of thousands of people. In the refugee camps of White Nile State, Sudan, clean water is no longer a distant hope - it has become a shared source of safety, dignity, and hope for a better future.

Sudan hosts nearly 860,000 refugees - including more than 630,000 South Sudanese - nearly half of whom (47%) reside in White Nile State. The population there continues to grow, with over 75,000 new arrivals from South Sudan in 2025 and 2,953 South Sudanese recently relocated from Khartoum to White Nile State. This steady increase places mounting pressure on already overstretched essential services, making interventions such as this solarized water project vital to ensuring sustainable access to safe water for both refugees and host communities.