Egypt sends aid to Sudan amid flood crisis

A Sudanese boy wades through a flooded street at the area of al-Qamayir in the capital's twin city of Omdurman, on August 26, 2020. (File/AFP)

DUBAI: Egypt sent an aircraft carrying foodstuffs and medical aid to Khartoum and Juba as part of efforts to help support people affected by the flood in Sudan and South Sudan, local daily Egypt Today reported.
Recent floods in Sudan killed approximately 100 people and affected 500 thousand families in 16 states, with Khartoum being worst-hit by the crisis.
The move comes after President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi ordered the launch of an aid plane to the people of the flood-hit countries.
Meanwhile, Egypt’s Minster of Health Hala Zayed arrived in Sudan on Tuesday, leading a high-profile medical delegation to offer support and assistance to the Sudanese people.
The delegation included 20 physicians of various specialties and a nursing staff, Spokesman for the Health Ministry Khaled Megahed said.
The medical delegation will be divided into four groups that will be distributed on four different areas in Khartoum to assist people affected by the flood until it recedes, he added.
Bilateral talks will also take place between the two countries during Zayed’s visit to discuss the needs of Sudan’s health system. Megahed further said the minister will visit one of the affected areas to get informed about the health conditions in it.
“We are greatly overwhelmed with the Egyptians love and support which reflected on social media,” Sudanese Minister of Information Faisal Mohamed Saleh said.
He added that, “everyone knows the depth of relations between Egypt and Sudan and due to some political circumstances, that affected the two countries, the relationship between them remains deep, and we are grateful to the Egyptian government that sent our country urgent aid.”