U.N. convoy reaches Darfur as floods and displacement worsen; $3 million allocated for South Sudan refugees in Ethiopia

U.N. humanitarian officials said a convoy that crossed into Darfur from Chad on July 6, led by the deputy humanitarian coordinator Antoine Girard, carried 8,180 metric tons of relief items intended for almost 400,000 conflict-affected people in East and South Darfur.

The U.N. said continued fighting in North Darfur has driven families from their homes and reported that shelling hit a market area inside the Abushuk displacement camp, killing three civilians and injuring others. Earlier reporting cited that famine had been confirmed in that displacement camp last year and that more than 3,200 people had fled Abushuk between June 26 and July 6 to locations including Sarayev, Tawela and Altina.

Flash flooding in eastern Sudan — and planned dam releases to manage rising water — are complicating humanitarian access. U.N. officials said medical supplies are running critically low even as partners support health services via remaining facilities and mobile clinics.

Separately, the U.N. allocated $3,000,000 from the Central Emergency Response Fund to provide life-saving assistance to at least 35,000 South Sudanese refugees who have crossed into Ethiopia’s Gambela region amid escalating violence in South Sudan. The U.N. said the influx is stretching local resources and that the new funding will prioritize food, protection, shelter, water, sanitation and health for vulnerable groups.

Why it matters: large-scale displacement, active hostilities and natural hazards are creating overlapping crises that impede aid delivery and increase needs across Sudan and neighboring countries. The U.N. said partners are delivering assistance where possible but warned that limited funding and access block more comprehensive coverage.