Khartoum/Port Sudan (ICRC) – The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has begun operating direct flights between Port Sudan and Khartoum for the first time since the conflict erupted in April 2023. These flights will speed up the deployment of ICRC teams and strengthen the response to one of the world's worst humanitarian crises.

"Time is of the essence when responding to the immense needs in Sudan," said Freya Raddi, ICRC Deputy Head of Delegation in Sudan. "This flight enables us to deploy specialized personnel more rapidly and maintain a sustained presence closer to affected communities."

The new air link follows the recent launch of ICRC flights from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, to Port Sudan, expanding the organization's logistical capacity in the country.

In 2025 alone, the ICRC supported 3.9 million people across Sudan, including by helping separated family members reconnect, supporting the dignified management of the dead, providing emergency and surgical health care, restoring access to clean water, and supporting people's essential needs and livelihoods.

With over 11 million people displaced and essential services severely degraded, the ICRC calls on all sides involved in the hostilities to facilitate safe and unimpeded humanitarian access, and to spare civilians and essential civilian infrastructure, like hospitals and water systems, in accordance with international humanitarian law.

The ICRC has been present in Sudan since 1978, working closely with the Sudanese Red Crescent Society to provide assistance and protection to those affected by armed conflict.