Sudan starts airlift of aid to rebel-held South Kordofan

November 3, 2024 (PORT SUDAN) – Sudan has begun airlifting 1,000 tonnes of humanitarian aid to two areas in the South Kordofan region from South Sudan, the Foreign Ministry said on Sunday, in a bid to alleviate suffering in rebel-held territory.

The first plane arrived on Friday in Kadugli, the capital of South Kordofan, carrying 16 tonnes of aid. The air bridge from Juba, South Sudan’s capital, will involve 78 flights carrying food and medicine, the ministry said in a statement.

The aid is destined for Kadugli, which is under government control, and the Julud area, held by the rebel Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N). The SPLM-N declared a famine in areas it controls in South Kordofan earlier this year.

The airlift follows a summit between Sudan’s ruling council head Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir, where they discussed delivering aid to the region.

The operation is being conducted in cooperation with South Sudan’s Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs.

Sudan’s Foreign Ministry said the airlift demonstrated the government’s commitment to international humanitarian law and its responsibility to ensure its citizens have access to food and medicine.

The government reiterated its commitment to the “moral and legal principles that govern humanitarian work without politicisation” and said it was engaged in talks with the SPLM-N to reach an agreement on aid corridors.

Negotiations between the government and the SPLM-N, mediated by South Sudan, stalled in May.