Sudan aid official criticises agencies over delivery failures
May 20, 2025 (PORT SUDAN) – Sudan’s Humanitarian Aid Commission on Tuesday criticised international organisations and U.N. agencies for failing to deliver aid to the besieged cities of El Fasher, Kadugli and Delling, while successfully reaching El Fula, which is controlled by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
Salwa Adam Binia, the Sudanese government’s Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid, questioned at a press conference in Port Sudan the reasons preventing aid from reaching El Fasher and Tawila in North Darfur State, despite entering through the Adre crossing point between Sudan and Chad.
Binia said agencies delivered humanitarian aid to El Fula in West Kordofan State, asking why they had been unable to deliver it to El Fasher and Tawila, where tens of thousands of displaced persons are besieged.
She noted that agencies also failed to deliver relief to Kadugli and Delling, which are besieged by the RSF and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) forces led by Abdelaziz al-Hilu.
The Commissioner said agencies must deliver humanitarian aid to areas besieged by the paramilitary group and SPLM-N forces in North Darfur and South Kordofan.
Binia also criticised aid agencies and U.N. bodies for not utilising all 12 crossing points the Sudanese government had allowed for the entry of humanitarian aid.
She reported that the number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the country has reached more than 1.3 million, including 221,000 in West Kordofan, 21,000 in South Kordofan, 563,000 in North Darfur, 110,000 in Khartoum, and 385,000 in North Kordofan.
The Sudanese humanitarian official said the government had ready humanitarian aid in the form of sorghum and wanted agencies to deliver it to Delling in South Kordofan.
She also reported the voluntary return of IDPs and refugees to “liberated” areas, which needed different agency support. She proposed that agencies provide drinking water, energy sources, and support for education, health, and other basic services.
Ambassador Kamal Bashir, Director of Peace and Humanitarian Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, called on the international community to classify the RSF as a terrorist organisation, citing their violations. He said this would help stop the flow of weapons to the militia.
He also urged the international community to pressure the RSF to adhere to international humanitarian law and appealed to donors to fulfil their humanitarian pledges.