First aid convoy reaches RSF-held South Khartoum since conflict erupted

December 26, 2024 (KHARTOUM) – Trucks carrying vital food and medical aid reached Sudan’s RSF-controlled south Khartoum on Thursday, activists said. This marked the first humanitarian delivery to the area since fighting broke out between the army and the paramilitary force earlier last year.

The region has been grappling with a severe humanitarian crisis, with residents facing acute food and essential supplies shortages. International organizations have accused both sides of the conflict of hindering aid access to civilians trapped in the crossfire.

“Despite the immense challenges posed by the ongoing war, the first batch of humanitarian relief has finally reached south Khartoum,” the South Belt Emergency Room said in a statement. The World Food Programme and UNICEF supported the aid delivery.

The convoy, which includes 28 trucks laden with supplies, will bring much-needed relief to the districts of Al-Kalaklat and Jebel Aulia. Residents have endured months of hardship without access to food and medicine.

Five UNICEF trucks carried tons of medicine, while Doctors Without Borders provided a truck with additional medical supplies. According to the Khartoum Emergency Room, the World Food Programme dispatched 22 trucks carrying approximately 750 tons of food.

“This aid will be crucial in addressing the urgent needs of the people,” the statement added. Southern Khartoum is one of the capital’s most densely populated civilian areas, with residents relying heavily on community-run kitchens for sustenance.

A spokesperson for the RSF said the Sudanese Agency for Relief and Humanitarian Operations, affiliated with the RSF, facilitated the aid delivery in coordination with the Civilian Protection Force and the civil administration in Khartoum state.

The spokesperson anticipates further aid deliveries, with 54 more trucks expected to arrive in the coming days.