A convoy of humanitarian aid has arrived in the Sudanese region of Darfur on Thursday, providing temporary relief to many suffering citizens. This development comes after Sudan’s forces closed parts of the border with Chad to aid deliveries in February. The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) announced on Wednesday that more than a dozen trucks have delivered food to approximately 13,000 people who are facing starvation in the Kereinik region of western Darfur. The WFP also stated that food supplies are ready to be dispatched to 500,000 people in the area. In total, over six million people in Darfur are experiencing food insecurity, and the situation is critical for more than 25 million people across Sudan.
“More than a dozen relief trucks – including some from WFP and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) – have now crossed into Darfur from Chad via the Adre border crossing,” said Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, on Wednesday.
Although this aid represents a small fraction of what is needed, much of it remains held up due to restrictions imposed by the Sudanese military. The military has claimed that rival factions in the 16-month-long conflict are using the route to transport weapons. Fighting erupted last April between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), led by Burhan’s former deputy, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo.
The Sudanese military announced last week that it would temporarily reopen the border crossing for three months to allow vital aid to reach Darfur, which is suffering from severe food insecurity and where the UN has reported signs of famine. Justin Brady, head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Sudan, remarked earlier this week that while 131 trucks had been approved for entry into Sudan, only 15 had been allowed in before Sudanese authorities halted the movement.
WFP stated on social media that “the Adre crossing from Chad to Sudan is the most efficient and shortest route to deliver humanitarian assistance, especially to the Darfur region, with the necessary speed to prevent widespread famine.”
The RSF, involved in intense conflict with the Sudanese military, welcomed the aid deliveries in a statement on Wednesday. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) described the reopening of the border crossing as a “positive first step,” but pointed out that the arrangement should be extended for a longer period. “The three months coincide with the rainy season, which naturally complicates access due to heavy rains and flooding,” said the aid worker in a statement.