A government official said that the only environmental laboratory in Khartoum State — responsible for soil and water testing, as well as measuring air pollution and radiation — is completely out of service after being targeted by Rapid Support Forces, with restoration costs estimated at about $500,000.
Khartoum witnessed widespread looting and destruction during the spread of RSF militia forces at the start of the war in mid-April 2023, affecting many government and private institutions as well as citizens’ property. A government committee tasked with environmental rehabilitation in Khartoum State is working to restore normal life in the war-affected state.
The Director of the Environmental Laboratory at the Higher Council for Environment and Promotion, Am Al-Khair Mukhtar Abdullah, told Sudan Tribune that the only environmental laboratory in Sudan, located in Khartoum, was subjected to extensive destruction, with losses estimated at no less than $412,000.
She explained that the laboratory building was destroyed and burned, while the laboratory’s infrastructure — including equipment, glassware, and furniture — was destroyed, and the remaining items were looted.
“We need at least $500,000 to restore the laboratory to service,” she said, stressing the importance of accelerating its return given its significant scientific and technical value in addressing many environmental challenges.
She revealed that an integrated project plan has been developed to rebuild the laboratory, calling on various parties — particularly civil society organizations, local and international organizations, and relevant authorities — to assist in rebuilding it.
Before the war, the environmental laboratory served as a technical reference for various states and mining companies, conducting air pollution and radiation measurements, in addition to soil and water testing and many other technical functions.
