El Fasher , April 20(Darfur 24)
The United Nations Deputy Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan, Toby Harward, said that relief trucks are stuck on the roads from Port Sudan and the Al-Tineh crossing points, unable to move forward, due to aggressive rhetoric.
The Sudanese authorities agreed to use the Al-Tineh crossing, which connects Chad to North Darfur state, to bring aid into the rest of the region, among other routes, all of which are under the control of the army and its allied groups.
On the other hand, the Rapid Support Forces refused to bring aid coming from Port Sudan, eastern Sudan, through the city of Al-Dabba in the northern state to North Darfur state, under the pretext of a plan to transfer weapons to the latter.
Toby Harward said, in a press statement, that “through discussions in and around El Fasher over the past days, all parties recognized the urgent need to ensure systematic humanitarian access to the Darfur regions.”
He pointed out that some trucks were able to reach the camps for the displaced and their locations in North Darfur, as a result of these discussions.
He continued: “Due to aggressive rhetoric, military activities, and administrative obstacles, other trucks are stuck at stations along the roads from Port Sudan and Al-Tineh, unable to move forward.”
The UN official called on all parties to work to create a safe and unrestricted environment for humanitarian operations wherever needed, regardless of who controls the region.
Reports from humanitarian organizations warn of a famine in Sudan, especially the Darfur region, where farmers were unable to cultivate their lands in the previous season due to the war that entered its second year last week.