Red Cross appeals to Sudan’s warring parties to allow passage of humanitarian aid

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has appealed to the parties to the conflict in Sudan, the army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), to allow the passage of humanitarian aid and to fulfil their commitment to international humanitarian law. Busses carrying people who have fled the violence in Khartoum have arrive in South Kordofan.

The ICRC’s Regional Director for Africa, Patrick Youssef, said on Twitter that he was visiting Saudi Arabia for discussions with the parties on the critical humanitarian situation. He referred to several bilateral talks on the armed conflict in Sudan.

He stressed the paramount importance of respecting international humanitarian law, protecting facilities and health and water workers, and facilitating life-saving humanitarian assistance to meet the growing needs of the Sudanese people.

“In Jeddah, we discussed the dire humanitarian situation in Sudan and we call on the parties to the conflict to provide a vital humanitarian space,” said Youssef.

“The humanitarian situation in Sudan is worsening and we are strengthening humanitarian diplomacy to help the victims of this armed conflict.” Patrick continued: “Our role in the ICRC in an impartial capacity continues to appeal to the parties involved in the fighting and we are talking directly with them to provide humanitarian space that allows the passage of humanitarian aid, and we remind the parties to the conflict to fulfil their obligations under international humanitarian law”.

Khartoum displaced reach North Kordofan

A convoy of at least six large buses carrying people who have fled the violence in Khartoum has reportedly arrived in Abbasiya in South Kordofan. Callers reported to Radio Dabanga that they were surprised by the sound of machine gun fire in the military garrison, which caused terror among the travellers., who pointed out that there was no confirmed information about the reasons and motives for the shooting.

They noted that large numbers of displaced people arrived in vehicles on Tuesday and are in critical humanitarian need with the approaching rains.

On Wednesday morning, seven of 10 buses carrying displaced people from Khartoum left Delling in South Kordofan, bound for the state capital of Kadugli, after being detained for several days by the authorities for security reasons.

Radio Dabanga sources reported that the authorities in Delling allowed the buses heading to Kadugli to leave on Wednesday morning. The remaining three buses did not leave the town, and are heading to the areas controlled by the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North under the leadership of Abdelaziz El Hilu.

The sources attributed the delayed departure of three busses to tensions in the border strip separating the areas controlled by the government and the SPLM-N El Hilu in the region.