Humanitarian lifeline to Sudan extended

Saudi Arabia yesterday sent humanitarian relief assistance to Sudan from the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief ). The aid includes food and medical assistance for flood-affected areas in the country, and is accompanied by a specialised team from KSrelief to supervise the distribution process.

Supervisor General of KSrelief, Dr Abdullah Al Rabeeah, issued a statement regarding the shipment: “A relief airlift was sent today under the directives of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Crown Prince, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence to deliver urgent aid to the people of Sudan.

Dr Al Rabeeah added the relief support will be provided to affected areas in the states of Khartoum, White Nile, and River Nile. The assistance consists of 1,000 tents, 6,000 blankets and 2,000 rugs; also included are spraying equipment and pesticides necessary to prevent the transmission of diseases. The assistance also included five tonnes of medical supplies and solutions, and 1,500 food baskets (111 tonnes) to be distributed to people in urgent need of food aid.

He stressed that the leadership of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has the highest regard for the people of Sudan, and that the Kingdom’s response to this disaster highlights Saudi Arabia’s commitment to providing comprehensive, impartial support to people in need wherever they live. Sudan has been battered by torrential seasonal rains since early July which have affected almost 200,000 people in 15 out of 18 Sudanese states.

The natural disaster has left more than 62 people dead and several injured. According to the UN, more than 37,000 homes in the country have been destroyed or damaged, and more flash floods are anticipated.  The rainy season in Sudan is expected to continue until the end of October.

The country has been affected by seasonal heavy rains, causing huge floods that have destroyed buildings, cut off roads, increased the Nile river’s water levels and left behind pools of stagnant water. All of this has resulted in serious and urgent health concerns, including the proliferation of insects related to epidemic diseases such as malaria.