A Water Crisis Unfolding: The Struggles of Families in Banderbeyla

Picture a mother, exhausted and worn, perched outside her makeshift home, surrounded by empty water containers. This is the reality faced by many families in coastal Banderbeyla, located in Northeastern State’s Bari region. They are grappling with a dire water crisis that forces them to resort to drinking contaminated, salty water. It’s a heartbreaking situation that leaves children and the elderly vulnerable to illness.

As the town’s sole borehole system succumbed to disrepair, thanks to a breakdown of its solar panels, pumps, and pipes, the cost of a barrel of fresh water has skyrocketed from $1.50 in April to an astonishing $5. For families who are already living on the brink, this surge has dire consequences.

Nadifo Osman Yusuf, a mother of 15, awash in anxiety for her family, describes their struggle: “The whole town is thirsty,” she laments. “We can’t find drinking water, and to fetch what we can takes an hour of walking to a hand-dug well near the coast. We suffer immensely. Our shoulders and backs ache from the journey, and we often wait for three hours just to obtain this water.”

In a desperate irony, water tankers delivering fresh supplies don’t provide credit. Nadifo is caught in a taut web of financial despair, unable to gather the cash needed for basic necessities. This is a parent’s nightmare—her young children and elderly mother are staring down the barrel of a crisis, with no safe drinking water in sight.

The health implications have been devastating. Earlier this June, two of Nadifo’s children were hospitalized due to severe stomach pains, vomiting, and diarrhea—all attributed to the poor quality of the water. “I carried my child, who was in critical condition, to the hospital on my back. We had no transport,” she recounts with a quiver in her voice. “He received treatment with ORS and injections. I stayed with him for seven long days; thankfully, he’s better now.”

Nadifo’s struggles are compounded by financial hardship. Her meager income, primarily from odd laundry jobs, has dwindled. Once she earned between $3 and $5 daily, but now her luck has dwindled to a mere two dollars a day. “The children are crying from hunger; we have no consistent meals,” she says, her emotion palpable. The economy here is steeped in a lengthy drought coupled with turbulent ocean conditions that have further crippled fishing—once a lifeline for many.

Her husband, a fisherman, sustained a back injury last year and is unable to work. With five of her children now out of school, the weight of despair is suffocating. Nadifo recalls these days with a heavy heart, stating, “We lived off fishing for years. Now, with my husband unable to work and no savings, I can’t even cover the $50 monthly fees for the children’s education.”

Just down the road, another figure stands tall amidst adversity: Sahra Hanaf Kulan, a local grandmother who finds herself raising five children alone. “I know the water from the well is unsafe, but what other choice do I have?” she asks, voice tinged with resignation. Sahra faces her own daunting challenges, often unable to carry water due to her health issues. “Sometimes, I think I might have tuberculosis,” she confides. “I’ve felt it seeping into my bones from the heavy burdens I bear.”

Her suffering deepens as she admits that for the past week, she hasn’t been able to cook even a single meal. “What can I feed my grandchildren if I don’t have anything to cook with? Should I prepare sand?” The gravity of her words weighs heavily, revealing the depths of their despair. With her last assistance coming a month ago—mere kilograms of millet that lasted only a week—Sahra finds herself relying on the kindness of neighbors for occasional meals, a patchwork of generosity that barely keeps them afloat.

“When their father was alive, he brought in income from fishing. Now, since he’s gone, our world has crumbled,” she mournfully recounts. “We used to have flour, rice, sugar, and other essentials. Now? It’s just hunger and uncertainty.”

Adding to the gloom, local doctors have issued stark warnings over the health risks associated with consuming salty water, citing potential outbreaks of illnesses such as typhoid and watery diarrhea. While boiling may eliminate some pathogens, it cannot rid the water of harmful salt or other corrosive substances.

Banderbeyla’s local officials have voiced their concerns to the Northeastern State administration, as well as the company responsible for the faulty borehole system, yet hope is dwindling with no response in sight.

As we reflect on Nadifo and Sahra’s stark realities, we must ask ourselves: How can we turn the tide for these families? Only through concerted efforts can we hope to restore safe access to water, paving the way for a healthier future for the children of Banderbeyla.

Edited By Ali Musa
Axadle Times International – Monitoring