Politics Red Cross: Thousands of civilians trapped in Sudan

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is appealing to the parties to the conflict in Sudan to allow access to the people in the town of al-Fasher in the North Darfur region, which has been embattled for months.

The main access routes to the town are impassable and despite repeated efforts, the ICRC has not been able to bring aid supplies to al-Fasher, a spokeswoman said. According to her, thousands of civilians are trapped.

A bloody power struggle has been raging in Sudan for almost 16 months between the de facto ruler Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Daglo. According to the UN, the conflict has triggered the world's largest refugee crisis. More than ten million people have been displaced or fled, many of them several times.

The World Food Programme (WFP) and several aid organizations have repeatedly warned of an impending famine. According to reports, there are already deaths, especially among infants and young children, who are dying as a result of severe malnutrition.

The ICRC welcomed the fact that the Sudanese government council has ordered the opening of the Adre border crossing to Chad for three months. Dozens of trucks carrying aid are already on their way from there to West Darfur. Any initiative that improves humanitarian access is an "important and encouraging development", it said. However, these three months coincide with the rainy season. Many roads are already impassable after heavy flooding.