Sudan’s sovereign council announced on Wednesday that it will extend the period for using the Adre border crossing with Chad, a key route for delivering humanitarian aid to areas facing severe food shortages in Darfur and Kordofan.
Aid agencies regard the crossing as crucial for reaching millions at risk amid an escalating crisis.
Earlier this year, experts warned that more than 25 million people in Sudan were experiencing acute hunger, with some areas approaching famine conditions.
The situation has been exacerbated by the ongoing conflict between General al-Burhan’s SAF and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
The Adre crossing was initially shut by the army-led government in February but was reopened in August for a three-month period, which was due to end on November 15.
General al-Burhan’s SAF does not hold physical control over Adre, which is in RSF-dominated territory.
Aid organizations had been preparing for potential disruptions, as Adre provides a more efficient alternative for aid distribution compared to deliveries from Port Sudan or through the distant al-Tina border.
Since the reopening, over 300 aid trucks have transported supplies sufficient for over 1.3 million people through Adre, according to UN humanitarian coordinator Ramesh Rajasingham.
The World Food Programme, for example, sent 15 trucks last Saturday to support 12,500 people at Zamzam camp, a famine-affected area, said spokesperson Leni Kinzli.
The extension comes as a relief for aid agencies striving to overcome logistical challenges, particularly those heightened by seasonal weather that has damaged infrastructure and slowed deliveries.
