KUWAIT: The 17th relief plane of the Kuwaiti Air Bridge departed on Thursday to Sudanese (Port Sudan) Airport, carrying two ambulances, organized by Kuwait Society for Relief (KSR), to support those affected by the rains and the ongoing conflict. In April last year, Sudan was thrown into disarray when its army and a powerful paramilitary group began a vicious struggle for power.

The war, which continues to this day, has claimed more than 15,000 lives. And in what the United Nations has called one of the world’s “largest displacement crises”, about nine million people have been forced to flee their homes. KSR Director General Abdulaziz Al-Obaid told KUNA that the 17th relief plane is departing at a time when the internal conflicts and natural disasters have increased in Sudan, resulting in hundreds of victims and thousands of displaced people in need of health care.

Director General Al-Obaid stressed that KSR, with the support of the Kuwaiti government, would continue to support and provide relief to the Sudanese people. Head of the Relief and Projects Sector at the KSR Mahmoud Al-Mesbah praised the efforts of the Kuwaiti ministries, headed by the Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Social Affairs, and Ministry of Foreign Affair for completing the needed procedures to operate the flights.

He also appreciated the role of the Ministry of Information and KUNA for following up on the Kuwaiti air bridge and highlighting the humanitarian efforts of Kuwait. Mesbah praised the role of Kuwaiti charitable associations and organizations, including the associations participating in the aid relief campaign for Sudan, official social institutions, and the efforts of the Kuwaiti people made to provide relief to the people of Sudan. — Agencies