Sudan’s Al Jazirah Irrigation Project Struggles Amid War and Water Shortages
Large sections of Sudan’s Al Jazirah Scheme, one of the world’s largest irrigation projects, have been left damaged by severe water shortages and ongoing disputes between the Ministry of Irrigation and the project’s management.
The scheme, which spans more than 813,000 hectares, has suffered extensive losses since the outbreak of war between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Most of its assets, farming equipment, and irrigation canals have been destroyed, while farmers’ properties have been looted or left to decay.
According to Jad Karim, head of the Al Jazirah and Managil Farmers’ Union, cultivated land now represents less than 10% of the scheme’s total area. He said entire zones, including Haddaf Wad al-Fadl, have been completely ruined by “thirst,” while the northern, western, and southern regions face similar devastation.
Karim accused the irrigation ministry of negligence, citing blocked canals, silt build-up, and the spread of weeds. He also blamed financial institutions for worsening the crisis. Both the Central Bank of Sudan and the Ministry of Finance have refused to guarantee loans for farmers, while the Agricultural Bank has demanded that farmers clear past debts before receiving new financing.
“The government has no confidence in the farmers, and no will to keep this project alive,” Karim argued, calling the policy a deliberate attempt by the de facto government to undermine the scheme.
Tensions have also emerged with remnants of the former regime, who Karim said are trying to control the project. He cited a fistfight that broke out during Prime Minister Kamil Idris’s recent visit to the Barakat area, after disagreements over forming new committees.
Disputes within the project’s reconstruction committee have also stalled a comprehensive assessment of losses, leaving the true extent of damage unknown.
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