Orbits: Humanitarian Assistance Controversy

By: Muawad Mustafa Rashid

According to news articles, the UN had sent the load of more than 1000 trucks of humanitarian assistance to Sudan since the start of the war in Sudan.
Also Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UAE, Egypt and other friendly countries sent tens of humanitarian aid flights to Port Sudan including wheat, grain, medicines and primary health care materials.
Those huge quantities of foodstuffs and drugs are supposed to be distributed to
the war-affected people, but it is apparent that the government’s system or mechanism is defective as most of the war-affected areas did not receive any of the announced humanitarian assistance.
The question that poses itself is why didn’t the said humanitarian aid reach the affected areas and people?
War-affected people are in dire need to the humanitarian aid as they are suffering from the shortages in foodstuffs and primary health care, while they’re hearing everyday the landing of airplanes in Port Sudan loaded by huge quantities of wheat, grain and medicines.
It is high time for the Sudanese government to work out an appropriate plan to be implemented by a professional mechanism to enable the war-affected people benefit from the received humanitarian assistance.
We expect rapid response from the government to remove any doubts about corruption and to encourage the international community to continue its assistance to Sudan, besides removing any obstacles therein.
We as fourth authority will continue our role in shedding light on any defects and provide advice to the concerned authorities.