Arabic version: انقطاع كهرباء لأربعة أيام يضرب مستشفى الدويم والأعمال التجارية

According to Allafrica, residents of El Dueim in Sudan’s White Nile State are assessing the economic and social effects of a four-day electricity blackout after a drone attack on the Mashkour substation on 26 October. The outage disrupted hospital operations, halted workshop activity and left daily-wage workers borrowing money for basic family needs.

Electricity has since returned, but the city is operating a rotating distribution system between eastern and western networks. One network is disconnected from 06:00 to 14:00 while the other receives power, with the arrangement reversed the following day. Residents said further interruptions can occur when technical faults arise.

El Dueim Hospital relied on generators to maintain surgical procedures and night lighting during the blackout. A hospital employee identified as A.H. told Radio Dabanga that the generator required large quantities of diesel, which was scarce and increasingly expensive in local markets, adding to operating costs. The hospital secured fuel despite difficulties and used the generator during daytime hours, particularly for surgery.

The city’s dialysis centre continued treating patients through a solar power system, an employee said. The system was provided through efforts by charitable individuals working with the centre’s administration and offered a more stable alternative to public electricity supplies.

In the industrial area and El Dueim market, workshop owners said the outage stopped production and income. Furniture-maker Haroun Mohamed Ali said he could not complete prepaid orders for wardrobes and beds, leaving him to choose between refunds and delayed contractual commitments. Abbas Brir said owners of meat-mincing and grain-milling machines had no work and borrowed money to cover daily expenses. Wood-turning workshop owner Yass El Tayeb said the cuts brought his business to a complete standstill.