GENEVA

The EU launched on Wednesday a humanitarian air bridge to meet the rising humanitarian needs in conflict-torn Sudan.

Thirty tons of essential items, including water, sanitation and hygiene as well as shelter equipment, were transported from the UN warehouses in Dubai to Port Sudan, a European Commission statement said.

Upon arrival, they were handed over to UNICEF and the World Food Program, it added.

According to the statement, the humanitarian air bridge is organized as part of the European Humanitarian Response Capacity, a tool aimed to cover gaps in humanitarian response to natural and man-made disasters.

The EU has already committed €200,000 ($219,741) for immediate relief and first aid assistance to people injured or in danger in Khartoum and other regions affected by the ongoing unrest, it said, noting that this funding is in addition to the €73 million already earmarked to Sudan for humanitarian assistance in 2023.

Furthermore, it said, €200,000 was granted to the Egyptian Red Crescent for the provision of assistance to Sudanese refugees landing in Egypt.

"I strongly condemn the fighting in Sudan and call on both parties to enable medical staff & humanitarian aid workers provide life-saving assistance," said Janez Lenarcic, the commissioner for crisis management.

"In the light of growing humanitarian needs, we are launching a Humanitarian Air Bridge, delivering essential supplies to our humanitarian partners on the ground – to be further distributed to those who need them the most," Lenarcic added.

He reiterated his call for an end to the fighting and to the loss of life.

On April 15, fighting erupted between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in the capital Khartoum and its surroundings. More than 600 people have been killed and thousands injured.

A disagreement had been fomenting in recent months between the Sudanese army and the RSF over the latter’s integration into the armed forces, a key condition of Sudan's transition agreement with political groups.