Bishop Hiiboro Decries Water Scarcity in South Sudan, Appeals to Government and Other Stakeholders to Act
Catholic Bishop of Tombura-Yambio Diocese, Barani Eduardo Hiiboro has decried the lack of clean water for the majority of South Sudanese citizens who often have to contend with the use of very dirty, contaminated, and unsustainable water sources.
Speaking on the occasion of World Water Day celebrated on 22nd March, Bishop Hiiboro expressed that it is a kind of paradox that the longest river in the world passes through South Sudan yet the majority of South Sudanese lack access to clean and safe water, which is not just a necessity but a right to every individual.
“Water is so significant, in my culture water is referred to as grace, in my culture, my people do not believe in water being sold in the market; they think that it is a sin to sell water as they believe that water is a gift from God. I, therefore, want to encourage all of us today as we mark world water day to make the best use of the water that God has given to all of us,” Bishop Hiiboro said.
He explained that in the Diocese of Tombura-Yambio water scarcity is a serious problem. In Western Equatoria where the Diocese is situated, residents get a lot of water during rainy seasons, however, because of lack of conservation dry seasons are characterized by serious scarcity. During such times residents are compelled to use any water available including dirty puddles that collect by the roadsides.
“On this international world water day, I, therefore, appeal to all of us first to acknowledge the fact that water is a gift to us from God and we have let us keep, preserve and care for its sources; secondly let us think on how we can take care of the environment so that we can secure our water sources and ensure that they do not dry up due to lack of sanitation and care,” Bishop Hiiboro implored as he too appealed to all government structures, especially the ministry that handle water issues to seriously look into ways of ensuring that water is made accessible to all citizens throughout the country.
“Water is essential to life and its accessibility to all persons in the Republic of South Sudan should be one of government’s top priority. It is no secret that the availability of clean and safe water is still a challenge to many people throughout the Republic of South Sudan, the water sources that are available are often very dirty, contaminated, and unsustainable, as such let there be a national plan for the provision of water to all,” Bishop Hiiboro expressed as he also asked for partners who can support the provision of water in various places to not hesitate to do so.
“I acknowledge and thank those who have made efforts to make water accessible to some of our people. Even though their initiatives alone are not enough for everybody, at least they have demonstrated to us that it is possible to do this. Let us, therefore, mobilize our resources and do what we can to conserve, preserve and make water accessible to us all.”
