The World Food Programme warned that more than nine million people, or 40% of Sudan’s population, are at risk of hunger.

Qatar resumed an air bridge to deliver aid to war-laden Sudan on Wednesday, as rights groups warned the Sudanese refugee crisis could soon become “a humanitarian catastrophe”.

“The air bridge designated for humanitarian aid to the sisterly Republic of Sudan will resume its activity tomorrow (Wednesday), where the twelfth plane will take off from the bridge towards Port Sudan,” the Qatari foreign ministry said in a press conference led by spokesperson Dr. Majed Al Ansari.

The statement said the plane is “carrying various relief materials as part of the state’s efforts to support the Sudanese people and help them overcome their current ordeal”.

The most recent flight landed on 21 June, during which an Emiri Air Forces jet airlifted 71 Qatar residents and delivered aid to the crisis-hit country.

The Gulf state launched its first evacuation flight in May, and has since safely airlifted 1,855 people from Sudan, per the latest Qatari foreign ministry figures.

Meanwhile, entities from the Gulf state, including Qatar Charity and the Qatar Red Crescent Society, have continued to provide much-needed humanitarian assistance on the ground, especially for those who have been displaced by the violence in the capital Khartoum.

The war broke out on 15 April following simmering tensions between the Sudanese army, led by General Abdul Fattah Al-Burhan, and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), commanded by Mohammed Hamdan Daglo, widely known as Hemedti.

The two sides previously shared power under a four-year agreement following the toppling of former long-time Sudanese ruler Omar Al-Bashir during the 2019 revolution.

The conflict has killed more than 3,000 people, though the actual figure remains disputed and is feared to be much higher.

On Monday, Sudan extended the closure of its airspace until 15 August amid increasing violence despite global mediation efforts. However, the decision excluded humanitarian aid and exemption flights.

‘Humanitarian catastrophe’

Meanwhile, a new report by American NGO MedGlobal warned that the Sudanese refugee crisis could soon become a “humanitarian catastrophe”.

The United Nations has separately estimated that the total number of internally displaced people has exceeded three million, or nearly 604,000 households. 

The international organisation added that it recorded more than 900,000 cross-border movements, mostly into neighbouring countries including Chad, Egypt, Libya and South Sudan.

“The rainy season and upcoming risks associated with flooding are set to compound an already fragile situation,” the UN said.

Meanwhile, the World Food Programme warned that more than nine million people, or 40% of Sudan’s population, are at risk of hunger.

The humanitarian situation in Sudan is expected to deteriorate as ceasefire attempts continue to falter.

Saudi Arabia and the United States have been at the forefront of mediation efforts since the conflict first erupted.

While the two parties have managed to produce a short-term ceasefire agreement in Jeddah in May, violence and intensified clashes on the ground quickly led to the collapse of the deal.

Since the start of the conflict, Sudan has scurried through at least 16 failed ceasefires, leaving little hope for an end to the fighting and raising fears over a massive civil war.