JUBA, Aug. 6 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese Embassy in South Sudan has handed over a completed China-aided borehole-drilling and water-supply project to South Sudan to improve access to safe drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene in Central Equatoria and Lakes states.
"Some regions in South Sudan are affected by floods and drought as a result of climate change, and our people are suffering due to a lack of access to clean drinking water," James Mawich Makuach, South Sudan's minister of water resources and irrigation, said at the handover ceremony on Wednesday.
Makuach noted that the project, implemented by China Jiangxi International Economic and Technical Cooperation Co., Ltd., fulfills the government's priority of achieving water sustainability in the country.
Ma Qiang, Chinese ambassador to South Sudan, said the project has delivered 47 boreholes across multiple locations in Central Equatoria and Lakes states, providing local communities with direct access to safe and clean drinking water.
He noted that the water facilities will not only help reduce waterborne diseases and improve sanitation but also support livestock production and community development.
"As a practical step in implementing the Global Development Initiative and the 10 partnership actions of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, this project reflects the principles of China's Africa policy -- sincerity, real results, amity and good faith, and pursuing the greater good and shared interests," Ma said.
In March 2023, China and South Sudan signed an agreement on the implementation of a China-aided borehole drilling and water supply project.
According to the United Nations Children's Fund, about 59 percent of South Sudan's population lacks access to safe drinking water, and only 42 percent has access to basic sanitation facilities that safely dispose of human waste.
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