June 2026 – Escalating conflict in Jonglei State, South Sudan has triggered massive displacement, widespread destruction of civilian infrastructure, and severe disruption of basic services. With emergency support from the Grundfos Foundation, the Danish Refugee Council (DRC) is restoring access to safe water for thousands of affected families.
Since late 2025, violence has displaced an estimated 304,000 people across Jonglei, including more than 17,000 in Ayod and Duk Counties. Public services have collapsed, with at least 33 health facilities damaged or looted, leaving 1.4 million people without adequate healthcare. The breakdown of health and WASH systems has fueled cholera outbreaks and acute watery diarrhea, putting over 450,000 children at risk of acute malnutrition.
Women and girls face a disproportionate burden. With more than 70 percent of boreholes and water yards damaged or non-functional, many must walk long distances to fetch unsafe water from rivers and swamps, exposing them to heightened safety risks.
The WASH response in Jonglei remains critically insufficient, leaving large segments of displaced and host populations without sustained access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene services. Thanks to the Grundfos Foundation’s multi-year framework agreement, DRC is rapidly scaling up its emergency response to meet urgent needs.
Laurent Palustran, DRC South Sudan Country Director, emphasized: “What we are witnessing in Jonglei State is a humanitarian emergency of enormous proportions. Grundfos Foundation’s support could not have come at a more critical time – it is helping us bring safe water and dignity to people who have lost almost everything.”
With this funding, DRC is rehabilitating hand pumps and solar-powered water yards, conducting regular water quality testing and chlorination, distributing emergency WASH kits, constructing semi-permanent latrines and handwashing facilities, and running community-based hygiene promotion campaigns. These interventions aim to reduce public health risks and restore dignity for conflict-affected populations, including women, children, elderly persons, and persons with disabilities.
DRC has been operational in South Sudan since 2005, working directly and with local partners to support displacement-affected communities from acute emergency into recovery, resilience, and long-term solutions. The current initiative in Jonglei underscores the importance of sustained investment in safe water and sanitation as a cornerstone of humanitarian response.
