RIYADH: A coalition of countries working to end the civil war in Sudan on Saturday asked the warring parties to open access to famine-hit areas for humanitarian relief efforts.
The ALPS Group, in a joint statement, said that as humanitarian operations are now moving across conflict-hit areas from Port of Sudan through Shendi to Khartoum wider access must be ensured for relief efforts to contain the famine.
According to the statement, the expansion of humanitarian access remains insufficient to meet the needs of the people and to ensure the efficient delivery of additional humanitarian assistance.
The ALPS Group which stands for Aligned for Advancing Lifesaving and Peace in Sudan issued the statement after a virtual meeting on September 19, during which it received alarming updates on the ground situation.
The group includes Saudi Arabia, the US, Switzerland, the UAE, Egypt, the African Union, and the UN.
Meanwhile, the Zamzam refugee camp in Sudan with half a million people has become more crowded after the war started in April 2023 between Sudan’s army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.
According to recent reports, the famine-hit camp is now facing the risk of infectious diseases after it was hit by floods.
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The ALPS Group in the statement welcomed the full opening by the government of Gen. Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan of the Kassala and Dongola airports for the UN World Food Program’s Humanitarian Air Service.
The ALPS Group also asked the paramilitary RSF to refrain from any attacks against civilians and the Sudan Armed Forces to stop its aerial bombing.
