Sudan dispatches humanitarian caravans to S. Sudan

November 20, 2018 (KHARTOUM) – The government of White Nile State on Tuesday said it has dispatched 4 humanitarian caravans to South Sudan.

The semi-official Sudan Media Center (SMC) quoted the director of aid groups department at the Humanitarian Aid Commission in White Nile, Mustafa al-Kamel, as saying the caravans have been dispatched to Upper Nile and Bahr el-Ghazal provinces via the Joda border crossing point.

He pointed out that the caravans contained 160 tons of sorghum, 400 packages of edible oils as well as large quantities of legumes, flour and rice.

Al-Kamel added the World Food Programme (WFP) said it would increase the volume of humanitarian aid to South Sudan during the next period.

Moreover, he said a significant number of aid groups have joined the government efforts and brought large quantities of foodstuff to the WFP warehouses in Kosti and Al-Rank.

In July 2014, Juba and Khartoum signed a MoU to open a humanitarian corridor to deliver food assistance to vulnerable South Sudanese through the River Nile or by road. Last January, the agreement was extended for a six month period.

The cross-border operation allows the WFP to reduce the costly airlift or airdrop operations in a time where the international agency faces serious financial challenges.

On 30 June 2017, WFP began providing food assistance to South Sudan using a new corridor to transport food items overland from El Obeid in central Sudan to Bentiu in South Sudan’s Unity state.

Sudan has so far opened four aid corridors to deliver food assistance to South Sudan.

South Sudan became the world’s newest nation after declaring independence from Sudan in 2011.

However, in 2013 the country was plunged into civil war killing tens of thousands of people and displacing millions.

(ST)