First war-time aid convoy reaches besieged south Khartoum

A convoy of 28 trucks delivered critical aid to Jebel Awliya, south of Sudan's capital Khartoum this week, marking the first such delivery since the war began 20 months ago, AFP reports citing local volunteers. Coordinated by local aid workers and international agencies, the aid included food from the UN World Food Programme (WFP), medicine from UNICEF, and supplies from Doctors Without Borders and CARE.

This lifeline aims to address the urgent needs of 200,000 civilians facing starvation, with access previously blocked by warring factions. UNICEF representative Sheldon Yett noted that months of negotiations, threats, and detentions delayed the convoy.

The conflict between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces has plunged the country into crisis, leaving half the population acutely food insecure. Famine has already been declared in five areas, with parts of Khartoum likely affected. Accusations of starvation as a weapon of war further underscore the severity of Sudan’s humanitarian catastrophe.