Khartoum — Yesterday, Khartoum received its first humanitarian aid convoy since the war began on April 15, 2023, marking a major milestone in relief efforts for the conflict-stricken capital.
The convoy, organised by the UN and humanitarian agencies, brought 22 trucks from the World Food Programme (WFP) with 750 tonnes of food supplies, five trucks from UNICEF carrying medicines, and one truck from Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and CARE, according to the Khartoum Emergency Room.
In a statement yesterday, the emergency room confirmed that 28 of the 34 trucks successfully reached their destination, although some faced delays during the journey.
It called the arrival of the convoys "a dream coming true" and noted the overwhelming relief and joy expressed by residents in Jebel Aulia and across Khartoum and its sister cities.
Coordinated efforts
Mohamed Kandasha, spokesperson for the Southern Belt* Emergency Room, reported that 26 trucks arrived in the area after coordination between the Emergency Room, the WFP, and the Nidaa organisation.
He praised both the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) for protecting the convoy through their respective territories.
The SAF said that it facilitated the passage of the convoy through areas it controls, with aid set to be distributed in Mayo and Ingaz in southern Khartoum.
The RSF also released a statement acknowledging the role of the RSF-founded Sudanese Agency for Relief and Humanitarian Operations (SARHO), and the RSF-established civilian administration, in ensuring the aid was safely delivered. It said it expects an additional 54 trucks to arrive in the coming days.
The Southern Belt Emergency Room spokesperson highlighted a growing malnutrition crisis, saying that one in four children seeking treatment suffer from severe malnutrition.
* Khartoum's Southern Belt is part of the periphery of the capital inhabited by people earlier displaced by wars in Darfur, Kordofan, and Blue Nile region and South Sudanese refugees, and by impoverished farmers from various parts of the country who lost their lands to banks.
