Sudan and South Sudan decided on Sunday to extend their agreement on transit of humanitarian aid through Sudanese territory to the South for six more months from 10 January.
Ahmed Mohamed Adam, the Sudan’s commissioner of humanitarian aid, said in a press statement that the agreement aims to deliver 50 tons of food to the affected areas in South Sudan according to the agreed routes between the two governments.
He pointed out that the agreement comes within the framework of Sudan’s commitment to promote the humanitarian situation and to increase assistance in the affected areas in South Sudan.
A joint technical committee including Sudan, South Sudan and the World Food Programme (WFP) will reportedly supervise the humanitarian aid transport to the South via land, air and river routes.
South Sudan is facing severe food scarcity due to the ongoing civil war.
The signing of the extension was attended by the representative of the WFP in Sudan, the United Nations resident representative in Khartoum, Sudan’s foreign ministry representative and Sudan’s humanitarian aid commissioner. A humanitarian attaché at South Sudan embassy in Khartoum, Kembe Jeremiah Abraham, signed on behalf of the South Sudanese government.
Separately, South Sudan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Barnaba Marial Benjamin commended Sudan for hosting South Sudanese nationals who fled to different parts of Sudan due to conflict.
Marial called on the Khartoum government to treat South Sudanese nationals as refugees so they can receive humanitarian aid provided by international organizations.