KHARTOUM: An International Committee of the Red Cross plane carrying humanitarian aid has landed in Sudan, as deadly clashes between rival generals’ forces continue for a third week.
The shipment, which included eight tonnes of surgical material, was the first to arrive in the country since fighting broke out on April 15, leaving over 500 people dead and tens of thousands more displaced.
Bodies have remained in the streets of the capital Khartoum since the conflict began, with only 16% of hospitals in the city functioning.
According to the World Health Organization, only 16 percent of hospitals are functioning in the capital Khartoum, with many facilities shelled in the fighting.
The Red Cross is hoping for security guarantees to send further aid to Khartoum and Darfur, but the eastern city of Port Sudan is currently the only entry point for aid into the country.
Sudan fighting
The conflict between forces loyal to two rival generals in mid-April has resulted in over 500 deaths and thousands of injuries, leaving tens of thousands displaced from their homes.
Despite the ongoing violence, the Sudanese Red Crescent is attempting to retrieve the bodies left in the streets of the capital. The aid shipment departed from Amman and arrived in Port Sudan, which is currently the sole entry point for aid to Sudan.
The medical supplies on the plane are sufficient to stabilize 1,500 patients, according to the ICRC’s Africa regional director, Patrick Youssef.
However, the organization is seeking security assurances to deliver additional aid to Khartoum and Darfur, as the initial shipment was inadequate to meet the needs of those regions. While some aid was able to be delivered to Darfur initially, nothing could be sent to Khartoum.
