UN Secretary-General António Guterres has commended the decision by the Sudanese authorities to reopen a crucial corridor for aid to enter the war-ravaged country, his spokesperson said on Saturday.

The Adre border crossing with Chad has been closed for most of the year. It is the most direct and efficient route for humanitarian aid to reach millions in Sudan's Darfur region who are facing record levels of acute hunger.

Food security experts recently declared that the war between rival Sudanese militaries, which erupted in April 2023, has pushed parts of North Darfur state into famine, particularly the Zamzam camp where more than half a million displaced people are sheltering.

Unhindered humanitarian access

"The Secretary-General underscores the importance of concrete and sustained measures to facilitate humanitarian access and protect civilians, in accordance with the obligations of Sudanese parties under international humanitarian law and previously agreed modalities," UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said in a statement.

"Humanitarian organizations must have full, safe and unhindered access to reach all civilians in need across Darfur, and across the country as a whole," he added.

The statement concluded by underlining the UN's full committed to working with all relevant stakeholders to help end the conflict in Sudan and alleviate the suffering of the population.

Scaling up assistance

The Sudanese authorities revoked permission to use the Adre crossing back in February, making the Tine crossing the sole route for cross-border humanitarian aid delivery from Chad.

On Friday, UN agencies including the World Food Programme (WFP) welcomed the news of its reopening.

The development will allow WFP to scale up assistance to 14 areas facing famine in Darfur, Kordofan, Khartoum and Al Jazirah.

The aim is to support up to 8.4 million people by the end of the year.