Sudan extends for 6 months humanitarian corridor to South Sudan

November 30, 2018 (KHARTOUM) - Sudan's Humanitarian Aid Commission (HAC) said it has extended for 6 months the humanitarian corridor to deliver assistance to South Sudan.

HAC commissioner in the White Nile State Abdel-Gawi Hamid said 18 humanitarian aid caravans have been dispatched to the border town of Al-Rank, saying the aid corridor has been extended for further 6 months.

He said the caravans include 24 trucks carrying 20,000 sacks of sorghum (1000 tons), saying it has been dispatched from the White Nile's city of Kosti to Al-Rank.

Hamid pointed out that the World Food Programme (WFP) and the aid groups have made arrangements to dispatch further humanitarian assistance to South Sudan during the next period.

Earlier in November, the government of White Nile State said it has dispatched 4 humanitarian caravans containing 160 tons of sorghum, 400 packages of edible oils as well as large quantities of legumes, flour and rice to South Sudan

In July 2014, Juba and Khartoum signed a MoU to open a humanitarian corridor to deliver food assistance to vulnerable South Sudanese through the River Nile or by road. Last January, the agreement was extended for a six month period.

The cross-border operation allows the WFP to reduce the costly airlift or airdrop operations in a time where the international agency faces serious financial challenges.

On 30 June 2017, WFP began providing food assistance to South Sudan using a new corridor to transport food items overland from El Obeid in central Sudan to Bentiu in South Sudan's Unity state.

Sudan has so far opened four aid corridors to deliver food assistance to South Sudan.

South Sudan became the world's newest nation after declaring independence from Sudan in 2011.

However, in 2013 the country was plunged into civil war killing tens of thousands of people and displacing millions.

(ST)