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Integrated Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Practices Enhance Humanitarian Service Delivery in a Conflict-Affected Area: Darfur, Sudan

Received: 12 August 2026     Accepted: 25 August 2026     Published: 22 September 2026
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Abstract

Access to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) remains one of the most persistent gaps facing internally displaced persons (IDPs), refugees and host communities in protracted conflict settings. This study was conducted in July 2021, across six sites: Bilel and Al Radom (South Darfur State) and Hassa Hissa, Hamedia and Khamsa dageiga and Rokero (Central Darfur State). The study examines the performance of a WASH component implemented by NGOS in five camps and settlements in Central and South Darfur State, Sudan. Using a mixed-methods post-intervention evaluation design household knowledge-attitudes-practices (KAP) surveys (n = 320 household), key informant interviews; focus group discussions, facility observations and secondary programme data. The study assessed water access, water quality, sanitation coverage, hygiene behavior and the sustainability of community-managed infrastructure. Findings show that access to water rose from 174,403 to 191,121 beneficiaries, with 90.5% of the target population reporting adequate WASH services and hygiene practices, exceeding the 85% target. Safe hand washing at critical times rose from 85% to 91%. Despite these gains, 61.8% of surveyed households reported increased waiting times at water points and inconsistent access to chlorine limited water-quality. Monitoring, pointing to unresolved capacity constraints in camps that were designed as temporary but have become permanent settlements. The shift from diesel to solar pumping, the transition from PVC to high-density polyethylene (HDPE) piping, and the capacitation of community water-management committees and hand pump mechanics are identified as key drivers of technical and institutional sustainability. The paper argues that WASH programming in protracted, low-return-prospect displacement contexts must move from an emergency logic toward durable infrastructure and tariff-based operations and maintenance systems, and it draws out transferable lessons for similar interventions in fragile and conflict-affected areas. The novelty of this study lies in re-analysing routine post-intervention WASH monitoring data as an independent field study, disaggregating to the site level to expose inequities that are invisible in aggregate, donor-facing indicators, and situating the Darfur experience within a comparative body of recent WASH evidence from analogous displacement settings in South and Central Darfur and elsewhere in the region.

Published in American Journal of Health Policy and Management (Volume 1, Issue 1)
DOI 10.11648/j.ajhpm.20260101.12
Page(s) 13-23
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2026. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

WASH, Internally Displaced Persons, Refugees, Conflict, Darfur, Sudan, Humanitarian Evaluation, Sustainability

References
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[6] Hatim Abdalla Mohammed Elkhidir, Kamal Eldin Mohammed Fadul, Eltighani Mirghani Elamin, Ahmed Mohammed Musftafa Lazim, Abdelrahman Ahmed Khatir, Bushra Meheissi, Fadwa Hassan Ibrahim, Dirdiri Hassan Mahmoud, Sona Mohammed Fadul (2026). Impact of Climate Change Vulnerability on Agriculture, Forestry, Water Resources and Range Land in South Darfur, State, Sudan. American Journal of Biological and Environmental Statistics, 2026, Vol. 12, No. 1, pp. 1–15,
[7] Hussein, E. M. E., Mohamde, K. E., Ibrahim, F., & Marufu, S. (2021). Norwegian Church Aid – Final Evaluation of DG ECHO Project in South and Central Darfur, Sudan (Draft Evaluation Report). Palm Associates Limited & Palm Gesamac Consulting, for Norwegian Church Aid (NCA) Sudan.
[8] HNRP, (2026). Sudan Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan, Humanitarian programme cycle 2026.
[9] United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). (2018). Global Humanitarian Overview 2019: United Nations Coordination Support to People Affected by Disaster and Conflict. OCHA.
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[12] United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). (2019, May 24). Acting Together to End Sexual and Gender-Based Violence in Humanitarian Crises [Press release]. UNFPA.
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[14] WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP). (2021). Progress on Household Drinking Water, Sanitation and Hygiene 2000–2020: Five Years into the SDGs. World Health Organization and United Nations Children’s Fund.
[15] Zinszer, K., & Abuzerr, S. (2024). Water, sanitation, and hygiene insecurity and infectious disease outbreaks among internally displaced populations in Gaza: Implications of conflict-driven displacement on public health. Journal of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene for Development, 14(11), 1182–1192.
[16] Calderón-Villarreal, A., Schweitzer, R., & Kayser, G. (2022). Social and geographic inequalities in water, sanitation and hygiene access in 21 refugee camps and settlements in Bangladesh, Kenya, Uganda, South Sudan, and Zimbabwe. International Journal for Equity in Health, 21, 27.
[17] Ali, S. I., Ali, S. S., & Fesselet, J.-F. (2021). Evidence-based chlorination targets for household water safety in humanitarian settings: Recommendations from a multi-site study in refugee camps in South Sudan, Jordan, and Rwanda. Water Research, 189, 116642.
[18] Blum, L. S., Yemweni, A., Trinies, V., Kambere, M., Tolani, F., Allen, J. V., Handzel, T., Cookson, S., & Ram, P. K. (2019). Programmatic implications for promotion of hand washing behavior in an internally displaced persons camp in North Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo. Conflict and Health, 13, 54.
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Cite This Article
  • APA Style

    Fadul, K. E. M., Elamin, E. M., Ibrahim, F. H., Mahmoud, D. H., Fadul, S. M., et al. (2026). Integrated Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Practices Enhance Humanitarian Service Delivery in a Conflict-Affected Area: Darfur, Sudan. American Journal of Health Policy and Management, 1(1), 13-23. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajhpm.20260101.12

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    ACS Style

    Fadul, K. E. M.; Elamin, E. M.; Ibrahim, F. H.; Mahmoud, D. H.; Fadul, S. M., et al. Integrated Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Practices Enhance Humanitarian Service Delivery in a Conflict-Affected Area: Darfur, Sudan. Am. J. Health Policy Manag. 2026, 1(1), 13-23. doi: 10.11648/j.ajhpm.20260101.12

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    AMA Style

    Fadul KEM, Elamin EM, Ibrahim FH, Mahmoud DH, Fadul SM, et al. Integrated Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Practices Enhance Humanitarian Service Delivery in a Conflict-Affected Area: Darfur, Sudan. Am J Health Policy Manag. 2026;1(1):13-23. doi: 10.11648/j.ajhpm.20260101.12

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  • @article{10.11648/j.ajhpm.20260101.12,
      author = {Kamal Eldin Mohammed Fadul and Eltighani Mirghani Elamin and Fadwa Hassan Ibrahim and Dirdiri Hassan Mahmoud and Sona Mohammed Fadul and Hatim Abdalla Elkhidir},
      title = {Integrated Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Practices Enhance Humanitarian Service Delivery in a 
    Conflict-Affected Area: Darfur, Sudan},
      journal = {American Journal of Health Policy and Management},
      volume = {1},
      number = {1},
      pages = {13-23},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ajhpm.20260101.12},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajhpm.20260101.12},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ajhpm.20260101.12},
      abstract = {Access to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) remains one of the most persistent gaps facing internally displaced persons (IDPs), refugees and host communities in protracted conflict settings. This study was conducted in July 2021, across six sites: Bilel and Al Radom (South Darfur State) and Hassa Hissa, Hamedia and Khamsa dageiga and Rokero (Central Darfur State). The study examines the performance of a WASH component implemented by NGOS in five camps and settlements in Central and South Darfur State, Sudan. Using a mixed-methods post-intervention evaluation design household knowledge-attitudes-practices (KAP) surveys (n = 320 household), key informant interviews; focus group discussions, facility observations and secondary programme data. The study assessed water access, water quality, sanitation coverage, hygiene behavior and the sustainability of community-managed infrastructure. Findings show that access to water rose from 174,403 to 191,121 beneficiaries, with 90.5% of the target population reporting adequate WASH services and hygiene practices, exceeding the 85% target. Safe hand washing at critical times rose from 85% to 91%. Despite these gains, 61.8% of surveyed households reported increased waiting times at water points and inconsistent access to chlorine limited water-quality. Monitoring, pointing to unresolved capacity constraints in camps that were designed as temporary but have become permanent settlements. The shift from diesel to solar pumping, the transition from PVC to high-density polyethylene (HDPE) piping, and the capacitation of community water-management committees and hand pump mechanics are identified as key drivers of technical and institutional sustainability. The paper argues that WASH programming in protracted, low-return-prospect displacement contexts must move from an emergency logic toward durable infrastructure and tariff-based operations and maintenance systems, and it draws out transferable lessons for similar interventions in fragile and conflict-affected areas. The novelty of this study lies in re-analysing routine post-intervention WASH monitoring data as an independent field study, disaggregating to the site level to expose inequities that are invisible in aggregate, donor-facing indicators, and situating the Darfur experience within a comparative body of recent WASH evidence from analogous displacement settings in South and Central Darfur and elsewhere in the region.},
     year = {2026}
    }
    

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  • TY  - JOUR
    T1  - Integrated Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Practices Enhance Humanitarian Service Delivery in a 
    Conflict-Affected Area: Darfur, Sudan
    AU  - Kamal Eldin Mohammed Fadul
    AU  - Eltighani Mirghani Elamin
    AU  - Fadwa Hassan Ibrahim
    AU  - Dirdiri Hassan Mahmoud
    AU  - Sona Mohammed Fadul
    AU  - Hatim Abdalla Elkhidir
    Y1  - 2026/09/22
    PY  - 2026
    N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajhpm.20260101.12
    DO  - 10.11648/j.ajhpm.20260101.12
    T2  - American Journal of Health Policy and Management
    JF  - American Journal of Health Policy and Management
    JO  - American Journal of Health Policy and Management
    SP  - 13
    EP  - 23
    PB  - Science Publishing Group
    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajhpm.20260101.12
    AB  - Access to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) remains one of the most persistent gaps facing internally displaced persons (IDPs), refugees and host communities in protracted conflict settings. This study was conducted in July 2021, across six sites: Bilel and Al Radom (South Darfur State) and Hassa Hissa, Hamedia and Khamsa dageiga and Rokero (Central Darfur State). The study examines the performance of a WASH component implemented by NGOS in five camps and settlements in Central and South Darfur State, Sudan. Using a mixed-methods post-intervention evaluation design household knowledge-attitudes-practices (KAP) surveys (n = 320 household), key informant interviews; focus group discussions, facility observations and secondary programme data. The study assessed water access, water quality, sanitation coverage, hygiene behavior and the sustainability of community-managed infrastructure. Findings show that access to water rose from 174,403 to 191,121 beneficiaries, with 90.5% of the target population reporting adequate WASH services and hygiene practices, exceeding the 85% target. Safe hand washing at critical times rose from 85% to 91%. Despite these gains, 61.8% of surveyed households reported increased waiting times at water points and inconsistent access to chlorine limited water-quality. Monitoring, pointing to unresolved capacity constraints in camps that were designed as temporary but have become permanent settlements. The shift from diesel to solar pumping, the transition from PVC to high-density polyethylene (HDPE) piping, and the capacitation of community water-management committees and hand pump mechanics are identified as key drivers of technical and institutional sustainability. The paper argues that WASH programming in protracted, low-return-prospect displacement contexts must move from an emergency logic toward durable infrastructure and tariff-based operations and maintenance systems, and it draws out transferable lessons for similar interventions in fragile and conflict-affected areas. The novelty of this study lies in re-analysing routine post-intervention WASH monitoring data as an independent field study, disaggregating to the site level to expose inequities that are invisible in aggregate, donor-facing indicators, and situating the Darfur experience within a comparative body of recent WASH evidence from analogous displacement settings in South and Central Darfur and elsewhere in the region.
    VL  - 1
    IS  - 1
    ER  - 

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