Khartoum, May 13 (IANS) The Sudanese government announced that it has allocated three airports to facilitate the arrival of humanitarian aid amidst the conflict.
The Council of Ministers declared in a statement that the airports in Port Sudan and Wadi Seidna, as well as Khartoum International Airport, will serve as entry points for humanitarian aid after maintenance, reports Xinhua news agency.
The decision is part of the efforts to implement a humanitarian declaration signed on Thursday between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
The declaration calls for a short-term ceasefire to facilitate the delivery of emergency humanitarian assistance and the restoration of essential services.
The cabinet called on all national and foreign voluntary organisations and relevant authorities to coordinate with a special committee it formed to ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid to all affected citizens.
Khartoum International Airport, Sudan’s main airport, went out of service after it was bombarded during the clashes between the SAF and the RSF.
Since the clashes broke out, residents of the Sudanese capital Khartoum have been suffering from severe food shortages, especially after dozens of factories were looted and burned.
According to the UN, it is estimated that about 15.8 million Sudanese, or about one third of Sudan’s population, will need humanitarian aid in 2023, and the figure is likely to increase as a result of the war.
More than 164,000 people have sought refuge across borders since the outbreak of the military conflict in Sudan on April 15, according to the UN Refugee Agency.
The deadly clashes have left at least 550 people dead and 4,926 others wounded.
–IANS
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