The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF)'s first joint humanitarian aid flight landed in Khartoum on 9 June 2020 at 10:50 am. On board were an 11-member MSF emergency response team, and four ICRC technical, management and support staff for the ICRC's operations in Khartoum and Darfur.
"I am very glad that this first joint ICRC – MSF flight has taken place, bringing in much needed humanitarian staff to Sudan and I wish to thank all concerned Sudanese authorities for making it possible," said Pascal Cuttat, the ICRC head of delegation in Sudan.
The flight is the first of what is hoped will be several rotations over the comings weeks to bring in personnel and supplies to Khartoum from Addis Ababa where the ICRC plane is based. With the COVID-19 pandemic widespread in Sudan, such support is greatly needed.
"The MSF emergency response team that arrived today will allow us to expand our activities in response to the COVID-19 pandemic," explained Andrea Fiori, the head of MSF mission in Sudan. "Facilitating access for personnel and supplies directly benefits patients," he added. "We are expecting another ten staff in the coming days, as well as a substantial amount of medical and logistics materials."
With the additional staff, MSF is aiming to expand its operations in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, but also to maintain its regular activities to support people in need. MSF currently operates in Central, East and North Darfur, Khartoum, White Nile, Gedaref and South Kordofan States.
The ICRC meanwhile will continue its COVID-19 response in support of the MOH's isolation centres, as well as water and sanitation and assistance programmes in prisons. The ICRC, together with the Sudanese Red Crescent, is also conducting COVID-19 awareness activities in rural areas of Darfur, Blue Nile and South Kordofan.
"Whilst this flight is a welcome development in terms of building up resources, I would like to take this opportunity to also highlight the imperative need to protect medical facilities and to respect humanitarian workers everywhere who are doing their utmost to care for those who are sick or at risk during these difficult times," concluded Cuttat.
For more information:
Jessica Barry, ICRC Khartoum, +249912150735 or jbarry@icrc.org
Adil Sharif (Arabic), ICRC Khartoum, +249912161493
Mansour Daoud, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) : +249 912738344 or msfch-khartoum-com@geneva.msf.org
