A North Texas nonprofit said its overseas water well projects have stalled because shipping supplies are stranded in the Strait of Hormuz amid the war with Iran.
Texans on a Mission, formerly known as Texas Baptist Men, drills clean water wells in regions of East Africa where safe drinking water is scarce. The organization said disruptions tied to the conflict have halted shipments of materials needed to complete projects in northern Uganda and South Sudan, according to Fox 4 KDFW.
Spokesman John Hall said cement, a new transport truck, and a drill used for smaller jobs are among the supplies stuck aboard a ship in the strait.
“Texans on a Mission drills water wells around the world and we’re especially focused on northern Uganda and south Sudan. And so, the difficulty in shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has created significant challenges in shipping and getting items into those areas,” Hall said, per Fox 4.
The lack of cement, which the group uses to finish wells and build sanitary pads around them, has shut down operations in South Sudan and slowed work in northern Uganda, Hall explained.
“That cement is what we used to finish off all the wells and make sure we create pads so that they stay hygienic and they function well. And so the lack of cement has completely shut down all of our work in South Sudan. It also has impacted our work in northern Uganda.
“In addition to that, we have a large truck that carries all of our supplies around our pipes and our fittings materials that are used for water wells. We needed a new truck that we ordered months ago. Our new truck is stuck in that strait,” Hall said.
The nonprofit is known for responding after natural disasters but also runs long-running international projects in remote communities.
“We’re stuck here, literally with a boat on the water that is preventing folks who need water. The irony isn’t lost on us and we’re just, we’re asking folks to pray that doors are opened because this is out of our hands,” Hall said.
Hall said the wells are intended as lasting infrastructure for villages without electricity, running water, or sewage systems.
“These are long-term solutions for these villages. These are very rudimentary villages, no electricity, no running water, no sewage,” he said.
