On Monday, UN authorities in Sudan confirmed that truckloads of food and supplies have been approved to cross the border from Chad through the Adre crossing.
The opening of the vital aid route on Friday was welcomed by officials, as it serves as a vital humanitarian route for delivering urgent aid to millions, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
Reports indicate that 131 approved trucks will carry food and other relief items across the border, aiming to assist hundreds of thousands of people during and after the peak of the country's rainy season. These supplies are expected to last through Sudan's lean season in August and September.
Heavy rains and violence interrupt aid
Meanwhile, the World Food Programme (WFP) reported on Monday that 50 of its trucks, carrying nearly 5,000 tons of food and nutrition assistance, have been stranded in various locations across Sudan due to flooding and impassable roads, preventing the delivery of aid.
The agency aimed to deliver aid to around half a million people via the Tine border, but heavy rainfall has prevented trucks on the Chadian side from crossing. Some trucks have been stranded for up to two weeks.
Active fighting and increased violence in different regions of the nation, including in the Sennar and Gedaref State and Khartoum, have further restricted WFP's access to communities in the middle of conflict zones.
OCHA said a humanitarian ceasefire "is urgently required to massively expand humanitarian access."
"Ultimately, an end to the conflict is the only sustainable solution. It is critical for the warring parties to leave the battlefield and show up at the negotiating table," the agency continued.
WFP needs all border crossings in Sudan to open to ensure the urgent delivery of food and nutrition assistance.
