AfDB invests $20 million in Sudan’s water and sanitation project

SUDAN (Capital Markets in Africa) – In collaboration with the UK Department of International Development (DfID), the African Development Bank (AfDB) concluded a project identification mission to Port Sudan on December 13, 2016. The mission sought to hold discussions with authorities and stakeholders on the possibility for the AfDB to finance the Port Sudan Priority Water and Sanitation (PSPWS) project as part of its joint efforts with DfID to address Port Sudan’s short-, medium- and long-term water needs. The PSPWS, which the Bank plans to finance with approximately US $20 million from the Bank’s Transitional Support Facility, is based on the Strategic Investment Plan (SIP) study undertaken by DfID.

The SIP defines the urgent, medium- and long-term water and sanitation interventions in Port Sudan. In addition to financing the SIP, DfID has also committed GBP 6 million for capacity building and technical assistance, among others, to support activities identified in the SIP. The objective of the PSPWS project, within this SIP, is to improve the availability and quality of water supply and sanitation services in Port Sudan.

The identification mission met with the Governor of Red Sea State, the Ministers of Health as well as the Minister of Physical Planning and Public Utilities and other State officials to discuss the water resource requirements. During the mission, the Governor of Red Sea State, Ali Ahmed Hamid, underscored the importance of the AfDB’s possible support given the acute water shortage and sanitation needs in Port Sudan.

For his part, AfDB’s Country Programme Officer in Sudan, Kenneth Onyango, who represented the Bank, expressed the institution’s commitment to continuing the collaboration with the Government and other development partners in the water and sanitation sector. He specifically acknowledged the strategic importance of the Bank’s collaboration with DfID, adding that more emphasis will be given to such collaborative efforts in the future.

The State Minister of Health, Hatim Ahmad Elias Daak, emphasized the need for improving sanitation through support for waste disposal. He further mentioned that AfDB’s support will complement the ongoing work by other development partners. At the Ministry of Physical Planning and Public Utilities, Mustafa Mohamednur, the State Minister welcomed the mission and expressed appreciations for the Bank’s potential intervention in the water and sanitation sector. The Bank expressed its willingness to continuously dialogue with all stakeholders to ensure focused intervention for maximum impact.