Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Support for Refugees Amid Sudan Crisis
Following the Sudan Crisis that broke out in April 2023, the Gorom Refugee Settlement in Juba, South Sudan has been accepting an influx of Sudanese refugees. With funding from UNHCR, Peace Winds has implemented a program to support water, sanitation, and hygiene for the approximately 10,000 refugees now living in the camp.
The Gorom Refugee Settlement was originally home to refugees largely from Ethiopia. However, large numbers of Sudanese refugees have fled here in recent months, resulting in crowding and a lack of sufficient drinking water, toilets, and sanitation facilities. In response, Peace Winds has built new water wells and toilets to meet the needs of the increasing numbers of refugees. Our teams in South Sudan also established a committee of residents to manage and maintain the wells and to carry out hygiene awareness. Both Ethiopian and Sudanese refugees make up the group of community health workers. They have been successfully working to educate other residents about proper sanitation including toilet use, hand washing, and general hygiene.
Peace Winds held a ceremony to officially hand over the new sanitation facilities to the local community. Representatives from UNCHR and the South Sudan Refugee Committee were extremely grateful, saying, “thanks to Peace Winds’ support, people now have access to clean water.” While community members expressed many words of thanks, Peace Winds also received requests for continued support as the refugee population continues to grow. Our teams are currently working on drilling new wells, establishing additional toilets for families in need, and conducting waste management. However, coupled with economic challenges, the Sudan Crisis continues to make life difficult both in the Gorom Settlement and for the people of South Sudan as a whole.
Peace Winds will continue to work with UNHCR and local South Sudanese NGOs to support water and sanitation for those in need. We thank you for your continued support.
