Over 780 trucks deliver 35,000 tonnes of relief to Sudan amid violence

Khartoum, Aug 1

Amid the ongoing violent conflict in Sudan, more than 780 trucks have delivered about 35,000 tonnes of aid across the country since May 22, according to the UN humanitarians.

Between July 22 and 27, more than 40 trucks carrying 1,600 tonnes of food reached Kassala, Gedaref and White Nile states, and another five trucks carrying some 300 tonnes of relief reached West Kordofan state, Xinhua news agency quoted the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs as saying.

The World Food Programme (WFP) reported providing food and nutrition assistance to more than 450,000 people in Central, East, North and South Darfur states since the conflict erupted between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces on April 15.

With the Sudanese Red Crescent, WFP supplies are reaching people internally displaced by conflict in the Al Firdous locality in East Darfur.

The vast, western Darfur region of Sudan was particularly hard-hit by the conflict.

More than 3,000 people have died and over 6,000 others injured in the bloody conlict, which the two warring sides have blamed each other of escalating it.

According to the Unicef, at least 435 children have been reported killed in the conflict and some 2,025 others injured.

The UN agency has also claimed to have received reports of a staggering 2,500 severe violations of children’s rights, representing an average of at least one an hour since April 15.

To date, over 3.5 million people have been displaced inside and outside the country.

Nearly 2.7 million have been displaced internally as of 25 July, according to the International Organization for Migration.

People have been displaced across all 18 states, the majority of whom are in River Nile, followed by Northern, White Nile, and Sennar states.

About 73 per cent of the people displaced are originally from Khartoum.

In addition, over 823,000 refugees, asylum seekers and returnees have crossed the border into neighbouring countries, including Central African Republic, Chad, Egypt, Ethiopia and South Sudan, according to the UN Refugee Agency.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has said that attacks on health care continue to be reported across the country.

Since the violence began, the WHO has verified 53 such attacks resulting in 11 deaths and 38 injuries.