UN welcomes Sudanese authorities' decision to extend opening of Adre border crossing

HAMILTON, Canada

The UN on Wednesday hailed a decision by Sudanese authorities to extend the opening of the Adre border crossing between Chad and Darfur.

"I can tell you that we very much welcome the Sudanese authorities decision to extend the opening of the Adre crossing from Chad for the United Nations to continue delivering humanitarian assistance to people in need in Sudan for an additional three months," spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters.

"Just a few hours ago, on the sidelines of the COP 29 the Secretary-General (Antonio Guterres) spoke with Gen. (Abdel Fattah) al-Burhan on that very subject and on the importance of facilitating humanitarian distribution in Sudan, in particularly through the Adre crossing," said Dujarric.

He said over 337 trucks of humanitarian aid with "more than 11,000 metric tons for food and other relief items that could cover the needs of close to 1.4 million people" were moved from the Adre crossing since mid-August.

"Adre is a critical lifeline for millions of people. But alone, it is not sufficient," said Dujarric, adding the significance of using all necessary routes for the "rapid and efficient movement of humanitarian supplies and personnel into areas of greatest needs."

Sudan has been mired by fighting between the army, led by Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, who is the head of the ruling Sovereign Council, and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) led by his former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Daglo.

At least 12,260 people have been killed and more than 33,000 injured in the conflict that started in April 2023, according to UN figures.

The UN has repeatedly warned Sudan that it is facing the world's worst displacement crisis, as the war shows no signs of ending and the threat of famine looms.