UN Chief Praises Sudan's Decision to Reopen Adre Border

After decision to reopen Chad-Darfur crossing for humanitarian aid, Guterres highlights importance of 'concrete' steps

WASHINGTON:

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Saturday commended a decision by Sudanese authorities to reopen the Adre border crossing between Chad and Darfur.

Guterres underscored the importance of "concrete and sustained" measures to facilitate humanitarian access and protect civilians amid Sudan's civil war, his spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in a statement.

"Humanitarian organizations must have full, safe and unhindered access to reach all civilians in need across Darfur, and across the country as a whole," he added.

The UN remains fully committed to working with all relevant stakeholders to help end the conflict and alleviate the suffering of the Sudanese people, he stressed.

Sudan's sovereign council announced on Thursday that it will reopen the Adre border crossing for three months to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid to those affected by the ongoing 15-month civil war. The decision comes after nearly six months during which no humanitarian aid reached the affected populations.

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.