KHARTOUM –Sudan’s Foreign Minister Mohieldin Salem and UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher discussed the humanitarian situation in Sudan and the continued flow of aid through the Adre border crossing with Chad, Sudan’s Foreign Ministry said.
During a phone call, Fletcher, the UN under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator, expressed appreciation for the Sudanese government’s understanding of urgent humanitarian needs in several parts of the country and for keeping the crossing open to humanitarian assistance.
He said cooperation between Sudanese authorities and the UN resident and humanitarian coordinator in Sudan was proceeding well and with a high level of coordination, without significant obstacles, according to the ministry.
Salem praised Fletcher’s cooperation and the efforts of Denise Brown, the UN resident and humanitarian coordinator in Sudan. He said the government was ready to continue coordination with UN agencies operating in the country and recognized the importance of the Adre crossing in delivering aid to people in need.
The two sides agreed to maintain coordination and to hold a meeting in New York on the sidelines of the upcoming UN General Assembly, with representatives of relevant Sudanese government bodies.
The call comes weeks after Sudan extended the opening of the Adre crossing for humanitarian aid deliveries until Sept. 30, 2026, a move the UN welcomed as essential for continued relief operations, particularly in Darfur.
Adre, located on the Chad-Sudan border, has become one of the most important humanitarian routes into western Sudan since the outbreak of war between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in April 2023. Aid agencies have repeatedly described it as a critical route for reaching conflict-affected communities in Darfur, where insecurity, hunger and displacement remain severe.
The crossing has also been politically sensitive. Sudanese authorities had previously restricted access through Adre before reopening it in 2024, while UN agencies and relief groups pressed for sustained cross-border access to deliver food, medicine and other supplies to areas at risk of famine.
Humanitarian agencies say the route is especially important because it provides direct access from eastern Chad into Darfur, including areas where road access from inside Sudan remains difficult because of fighting, damaged infrastructure and insecurity. The Logistics Cluster described Adre in 2026 as one of the most operationally relevant cross-border points because of its location in relation to target areas in Darfur.
Sudan is facing one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, with millions displaced inside and outside the country and aid operations repeatedly disrupted by violence, bureaucratic restrictions, funding shortages and attacks on humanitarian workers and convoys.
