Sudan’s Burhan allows UN to use three airports for aid delivery

November 25, 2024 (PORT SUDAN) – Sudan’s military leader has authorized the United Nations to use three airports in the country to deliver aid to people affected by the ongoing conflict, the ruling Sovereign Council said on Monday.

The move comes as Sudan faces a worsening humanitarian crisis, with 25.6 million people suffering from severe hunger, including 8.5 million facing famine-like conditions.

General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, head of the Sovereign Council, “directed the relevant state authorities to allow UN organizations … to utilize the airports of Kadugli in South Kordofan state, El Obeid in North Kordofan, and Damazin in Blue Nile region as humanitarian hubs for storing relief materials,” the council said in a statement.

UN staff will be permitted to travel with aid convoys, oversee distribution, and return to their base after completing their mission.

The council had previously approved the opening of Kadugli airport for aid flights. South Kordofan is facing a severe humanitarian crisis due to a blockade imposed by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) led by Abdelaziz al-Hilu.