Egyptian Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Hani Sewilem received a report from Dr. Arif Gharib, Head of the Nile Water Affairs Sector, on the position of bilateral co-operation projects between Egypt and South Sudan in the field of water resources and irrigation, especially in the field of providing clean drinking water to the citizens of South Sudan.
Minister Sweilem stated that in January 2024, the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation launched the process of implementing 8 groundwater drinking water stations equipped with solar energy in the states of Central Equatoria and Jonglei.
Implementation has already begun in Lobonok County, Central Equatoria State, to establish 3 stations in the county. The Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation of the Republic of South Sudan also sent a joint work team from the Egyptian and South Sudanese sides, to visit Yoroor County in Jonglei State to begin the procedures for implementing 2 stations, as planned. They were established to serve the district to provide safe and clean drinking water to citizens, which will improve their quality of life and reduce health risks associated with water.
He added that this project comes within the framework of bilateral cooperation projects between the two countries, which aim to implement development projects that directly benefit the citizens of South Sudan.
Egyptian Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation, in cooperation with its counterpart in South Sudan, has implemented 20 groundwater drinking stations over the past years to provide Drinking water for approximately 100,000 South Sudanese citizens. These wells are equipped with solar energy to reduce the cost of operation in remote areas and to achieve sustainability of their operation.
The Ministry is also implementing projects to reduce rain risks, and dams to harvest rain to benefit from in times of drought for the citizens of South Sudan.
Swailem stressed that Egypt brings goodness to the citizens of South Sudan through its development projects, in light of the deep and extended Egyptian-South Sudanese relations at all levels.
