The governor of Northern Bahr el Ghazal State, Simon Ober Mawut, donated two hand-operated water pumps on Saturday to the community of Gram-Yargot Payam in Aweil East County to ease chronic water shortages.
The pumps will serve residents of Makuei-Aliap-Dou and surrounding areas, where women often wait for days to access clean water.
During a one-day visit to the area, Governor Ober pledged to improve basic services, including healthcare, education, and telecommunications.
“We have heard your challenges, especially the lack of clean drinking water, which is why we intervened,” Ober told residents. “But you also need schools for your children and better health facilities.”
He said his administration would collaborate with NGOs to expand services in the remote region.
State Information Minister Gabriel Deng Yel said the donation would significantly reduce the community’s struggles in accessing safe water.
“This area has suffered for a long time. Women have queued for three days just to fetch water from the only available pump,” Deng said.
He also called on the national government to build a road connecting Makuei-Aliap-Dou to Aweil town to facilitate trade, particularly for gum Arabic, a key local product.
“This region has agricultural potential, but without proper roads, farmers cannot transport their goods to markets,” Deng added.