Sudan: Truce violated, civilians are in danger

Violent clashes between the Sudanese army and the paramilitaries resumed on Sunday in Khartoum, as a fragile three-day truce that has never really been respected is about to expire. The ceasefire was supposed to allow citizens to save themselves. Because of its violation, millions of Sudanese have been trapped in the capital. In the meantime, humanitarian aid is arriving: a first shipment from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) arrived in Port Sudan on Sunday. The plane was loaded with eight tons of medical supplies, including surgical equipment, which should enable "the treatment of 1,500 patients" in the country, where most hospitals are out of action due to fighting, the ICRC announced . The plane, also carrying humanitarian personnel, took off from Amman and landed in Port Sudan, a coastal city 850km east of Khartoum, the ICRC said. Sudanese airspace has been closed since April 15 as fighting broke out at Khartoum airport. The war has so far caused at least 528 deaths and 4,599 injuries, according to official but largely underestimated figures, and both sides in the conflict accuse each other of having violated the truce.