This is a late update, but I’ve now been in Sudan for 1 week. I was lucky. I flew direct to Malakal with MAF instead of being stuck on the WFP flight that took the round-about way. I’m told to get used to the tiny Cessna Caravan because that’ll be my main mode of insertion and extraction at all the field sites. It’s a fun little plane especially sitting way at the back. Unfortunately, it gets a bit chilly since it’s not pressurized up at cruising altitude.
Immediately the next day after arriving, the WatSan team of 8 split into two teams to do a 3-day assessment of Malakal town. Malakal is the capital of Upper Nile state, but it’s situation is as dire as other parts of South Sudan. We saw people using fields for latrines, even going into (and being killed by) mine fields. Girls and mothers were drawing dirty, untreated water from the Nile. It’s sad to see such a situation in the 21st century.
I’m getting direct exposure to the heat of Sudan. The daily high has been constantly 35 Celsius and more. Nights start warm and get quite chilly by 3-4am. I only know this because I’m awoken by the donkeys braying, roosters cock-a-doodle-do-ing, the crickets playing their songs, and the slight chill. The Kenyan staff said that it started getting really hot the day before I arrived. But it’s only the start. They expect temperatures up to 40 and 50 Celsius before the rainy season comes. “You can’t tell the difference between 40 degrees and 50 degrees anyway, so it doesn’t really matter.”
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