EU launches aid flights to Sudan's Darfur as humanitarian crisis escalates

"The European Union has launched an air bridge to bring eight planeloads of humanitarian aid into Sudan's war-ravaged Darfur region. The European Commission's department overseeing overseas aid unveiled the measure on Monday and said the flights will carry 3.5 million euros ($4.1m) of life-saving supplies to the western region, where mass atrocities, starvation and displacement have left millions of people in urgent need."

"The first flight left on Friday, delivering about 100 tonnes of aid from EU humanitarian stockpiles and partner organisations, the commission's Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations said in a statement. Further flights will continue throughout this month and January, it said, listing water, shelter materials, and sanitation, hygiene and health items among the supplies being transported to one of the world's hardest places for aid organisations to reach."

"It noted that the fall of North Darfur's capital, el-Fasher, which was seized by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in late October, marked a major escalation of an already catastrophic humanitarian situation and has made aid access even harder. The RSF took control of el-Fasher after an 18-month siege that cut residents off from food, medicine and other critical supplies, prompting more than 100,000 people to flee, many to the town of Tawila, which has become the epicentre of the region's spiralling humanitarian crisis."

The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) seized North Darfur's capital el-Fasher in late October after an 18-month siege, worsening an already catastrophic humanitarian crisis. The siege cut residents off from food, medicine and other critical supplies and prompted over 100,000 people to flee, many to Tawila. Those who fled reported mass killings, kidnappings and widespread sexual violence. The United Nations human rights chief accused the RSF of committing grave crimes. The European Union launched an air bridge to bring eight planeloads carrying €3.5 million of life-saving supplies, with the first flight delivering about 100 tonnes and further flights planned.

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