Turkish ship with over 2,400 tons of humanitarian aid departs for war-torn Sudan

By Eren Bozkurt and Ahmed Satti

MERSIN, Türkiye (AA) – A ship carrying over 2,400 tons of humanitarian aid left the Turkish port of Mersin on Saturday, bound for the war-torn African nation of Sudan.

The aid was prepared under the coordination of the Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD), with contributions from the Health Ministry, Turkish Red Crescent, and several non-governmental organizations.

The aid includes food, hygiene products, clothing, shelter, and health supplies, according to Okay Memis, the head of AFAD.

The ship, the Sardes, is expected to arrive in Sudan around next weekend, Oktay said.

- Sudan: Forgotten world humanitarian crisis

Sudan continues to face the worst hunger and displacement crisis in the world as a result of 15 months of armed conflicts between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

While the number of people killed in the clashes is estimated to be around 16,000, the death toll is much higher due to the collapse of the health care system in the country in Northeastern Africa.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported that since the war began in Sudan in April 2023, over 7.7 million people have been internally displaced.

The IOM noted that more than 2 million people have crossed the border into neighboring countries, 55% of them minors under the age of 18.

UNICEF reported that Sudan has the world's largest number of displaced children, with 5 million.

The IOM said 36% of the displaced people are from the capital Khartoum, 20% from South Darfur, and 14% from North Darfur.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said as the situation continues to deteriorate across Sudan, women, children, and entire families are being forced to flee, leaving everything behind.

OCHA reported that Sudan is currently facing the “worst food insecurity in 20 years.”

WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus emphasized that one in every five people in Sudan is experiencing emergency-level food insecurity amid the ongoing civil war.

“755,000 people are facing catastrophic levels of hunger. 25.6 million are facing acute levels,” he said.

- 3M people on brink of famine

Eatizaz Yousif, Sudan country director for the International Rescue Committee (IRC), said nearly half of the nation requires humanitarian aid due to the ongoing war, and 3 million people are on the brink of famine and could die from starvation.

UNICEF representative in Sudan Mandeep O’Brien said approximately 8.9 million Sudanese children are suffering from acute food insecurity and disease.

UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell underscored that Sudan is “one of the worst places in the world” for children.

Russell noted that millions of Sudanese children are malnourished and unable to attend school.

The war in Sudan broke out in April 2023 between army Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo over disagreements about integrating the RSF into the army.

The conflict has caused a devastating humanitarian crisis, and clashes have killed nearly 16,000 people and displaced millions.

On March 29, Sudan filed a complaint with the UN Security Council against the United Arab Emirates for allegedly supporting the RSF, a charge the UAE denies.

* Writing by Seda Sevencan