A United Nations humanitarian flight has landed at the airport in Khartoum for the first time since the war in Sudan began nearly three years ago.
The flight, operated by the UN Humanitarian Air Service, arrived from Port Sudan. Denise Brown, the UN’s humanitarian coordinator for Sudan, described the landing as “a big deal” for aid workers trying to reach millions of people affected by the conflict.
Since April 2023, fighting between Sudan’s army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has killed tens of thousands and displaced around 11 million people. Khartoum was heavily damaged early in the war after being overrun by the RSF, but the army retook the capital last year.
The airport itself was badly damaged and was one of the last RSF strongholds before government forces regained control. Although it has since been renovated, it was still targeted by drone strikes last year, including just before a planned reopening.
Brown said being able to travel by air across Sudan — a vast country — will greatly improve humanitarian operations. She is heading to the Kordofan region, where the cities of Kadugli and Dilling were under siege for months before the army lifted the blockade recently.
During the siege, aid agencies could not deliver supplies and had to evacuate staff for safety. Humanitarian deliveries resumed only last week, with more than 50 trucks bringing essential supplies.
The UN has also warned about worsening hunger. Famine has already been confirmed in El-Fasher and Kadugli, and data suggests Dilling may also be experiencing famine conditions.
Brown urged the international community to understand the severe human cost of the conflict and to work together toward a solution to end the war.
Source : AFRICA NEWS
