The sovereign council of Sudan has announced that it would extend access to the Adre border crossing with Chad, a crucial route for delivering aid to areas at high risk of famine in Darfur and Kordofan.
With over 25 million Sudanese facing acute hunger due to ongoing conflict between Sudan’s army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), several areas are on the brink of famine. Already, a camp in Darfur is experiencing severe shortages, exacerbated by the conflict.
Originally closed by the army-controlled government in February, the Adre crossing was temporarily reopened in August for a three-month period until 15 November.
The extension comes amid concerns from government officials who argue that the open crossing allows for potential RSF weapon transfers. The RSF, however, controls the area around Adre and most of Darfur, limiting the army’s influence over the crossing.
Aid agencies had anticipated the closure, but with the extension, they can continue using Adre, which offers a faster route for supplies compared to cross-line deliveries from army-held Port Sudan or the distant al-Tina crossing.
Since August, over 300 aid trucks carrying food and essentials for more than 1.3 million people have passed through Adre, as per UN humanitarian coordinator Ramesh Rajasingham.
The World Food Programme recently sent a convoy of 15 trucks via Adre with food and nutrition support for 12,500 people in the famine-hit Zamzam camp, spokeswoman Leni Kinzli said on Saturday.
