On Wednesday, the United Nations agency reported that over a dozen trucks had delivered food to about 13,000 people suffering from famine in the Kereinik region of western Darfur.
The WFP also mentioned that it has food supplies ready for 500,000 people. At present, more than six million people in Darfur and over 25 million across Sudan are facing food insecurity.
UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric noted that "more than a dozen aid trucks, including those from the WFP and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), have crossed into Darfur from Chad through the Adre border crossing."
This aid is a small fraction of what is needed due to restrictions imposed by the Sudanese army, which contends that the route is used by its opponents in the ongoing 16-month conflict to transport weapons.
The conflict began in April of last year between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, al-Burhan's former deputy.
Last week, the Sudanese army agreed to temporarily reopen the crossing for three months to allow essential aid into Darfur, where the UN has reported food shortages and famine affecting over six million people.
Justin Brady, head of the UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Sudan, stated earlier this week that although 131 aid trucks were approved for entry, only 15 were allowed before Sudanese authorities halted further deliveries.
The WFP emphasized that the Adre crossing from Chad is the most efficient route for delivering humanitarian aid to Darfur quickly and effectively to avoid widespread starvation.
In response to the aid deliveries, the RSF welcomed the assistance. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) also commended the border crossing's reopening as a "positive first step," but suggested extending the period, as the three-month timeframe coincides with the rainy season, which complicates access due to heavy rains and flash floods.
