The World Food Programme (WFP) has announced the arrival of a humanitarian aid convoy in Darfur this week after a six-week delay due to repeated detentions by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), disrupting relief distribution in famine-threatened areas.
According to WFP, the journey was initially expected to take a maximum of two weeks. However, the convoy, consisting of approximately 40 trucks, faced multiple obstacles since departing the Adré border crossing in December. The RSF detained the convoy for three weeks, demanding new approvals and conducting additional inspections before redirecting it to more severely affected areas.
Alex Marianelli, WFP’s acting Sudan country director, stated that humanitarian deliveries to remote areas have improved in recent months but emphasized the need for a consistent aid flow due to the growing needs.
Despite these challenges, WFP has managed to deliver aid to remote locations such as Zamzam Camp in North Darfur and Wad Madani in Al-Jazira State, benefiting over 2.5 million people monthly in the last quarter of 2024. However, ongoing violence and restrictions on humanitarian convoys continue to hinder relief efforts, worsening the suffering of civilians.
Additionally, WFP revealed a severe cash liquidity crisis that delayed aid distribution to over 4 million people, as a shortage of banknotes affected truck-loading operations. Recent interventions by the Central Bank and the Ministry of Finance have partially alleviated the crisis, allowing for a gradual resumption of distributions.
With the number of food-insecure people rising to 24.6 million, WFP renewed its call for all parties in Sudan to remove barriers to aid access and ensure the safe passage of relief to the most affected areas amid warnings of an imminent famine threatening millions.
