Rome — The first WFP food supplies destined for desperate communities in Sudan's Darfur have crossed the Adre border from Chad, after it was reopened by the Sudanese authorities following a six-month closure. WFP trucks, carrying sorghum, pulses, oil and rice destined for 13,000 people at risk of famine in Kereneik, West Darfur, crossed on Tuesday evening. WFP has food and nutrition supplies for around 500,000 people ready to move swiftly through the newly re-opened route.

"The re-opening of the Adre crossing is critical for the effort to prevent famine from spreading across Sudan, and it must now stay in use. I want to acknowledge all parties for taking this vital step to help WFP get lifesaving aid to millions of people in desperate need," said WFP Executive Director Cindy McCain. "We urgently need to reach every corner of Sudan with food assistance - and this requires humanitarian corridors and all border crossings to be open so aid agencies can bring in supplies every single day. This is the only way to avoid widespread starvation."

The Adre crossing from Chad is the most effective and shortest route to deliver humanitarian assistance into Sudan - and particularly the Darfur region - at the scale and speed required to respond to the huge hunger crisis. From Adre, trucks can cross into Darfur and reach key distribution points on the very same day.

Since Adre's official closure in February, WFP was able to operate two convoys via the Adre crossing - one in March and one in April. But otherwise, WFP has been using the longer route through Chad's Tine crossing into North Darfur, as well as long, dangerous routes from Port Sudan that cross battle frontlines and through areas controlled by different militia groups, to reach communities in Darfur.

There needs to be a constant flow of food and nutrition assistance into Sudan to address alarming levels of hunger. Humanitarian needs are acute across Sudan, and WFP is scaling up food assistance in all 14 areas either in famine or at risk of famine, largely located in Darfur, Kordofan, Khartoum, and Gezira, with the aim to support up to 8.4 million people by the end of the year.