EU Launches Emergency Air Bridge to Deliver Aid to Darfur
The European Union has launched an emergency air bridge operation to deliver life-saving humanitarian aid to the conflict-ravaged Darfur region of Sudan, where what the United Nations describes as 'the world's largest humanitarian crisis' continues to unfold. The operation, announced by the European Commission on December 15, 2025, involves eight flights transporting critical supplies to a region where millions face starvation, displacement, and violence.
Operation Details and Immediate Response
The first flight delivered approximately 100 tons of aid on December 12, 2025, with additional flights scheduled throughout December and January 2026. The supplies include shelter materials, water, sanitation and hygiene items, and essential health supplies. The operation, costing €3.5 million, is funded from the EU's humanitarian budget and represents a direct response to the escalating crisis.
'A total of eight flights will bring life-saving supplies into Darfur, as mass atrocities, starvation, and displacement linked to the conflict in Sudan have left millions in need of humanitarian assistance,' the European Commission stated in its official press release.
Context of the Crisis
The humanitarian situation in Darfur deteriorated sharply after the city of El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, was captured by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in October 2025. 'The loss of the city marked a major escalation of an already catastrophic humanitarian situation, and further restricted aid access. Civilians who managed to flee are reporting widespread violations of international humanitarian law,' the Commission noted.
According to UN reports, Sudan's civil war, which began in April 2023 when the RSF launched attacks after resisting integration into the army, has created what is now considered the most devastating humanitarian and displacement crisis globally. The conflict has left 30.4 million people—over two-thirds of Sudan's population—in need of assistance, with acute hunger affecting half the population.
Scale of the Humanitarian Disaster
The numbers are staggering: over 12 million people have been displaced, including 9 million internally displaced and 3 million refugees—a figure larger than Switzerland's entire population. Food insecurity affects 21.2 million people (45% of the population), with 6.3 million facing emergency conditions and 375,000 experiencing famine-level hunger, particularly in el-Fasher and Kadugli.
The healthcare system has collapsed, with fewer than 25% of hospitals operational, leading to cholera outbreaks with over 123,000 cases and 3,500 deaths. Both sides have been accused of war crimes, with the RSF implicated in atrocities that may constitute genocide according to UN reports.
EU's Broader Commitment to Sudan
The air bridge operation is part of a much larger EU commitment to Sudan. The bloc has made available €270 million for humanitarian aid to Sudan in 2025 alone, making it one of the largest contributors to the response and representing the EU's biggest humanitarian effort in Africa.
However, as noted in reporting by The New York Times, significant concerns remain about whether this aid will actually reach those most in need due to ongoing security challenges, distribution difficulties, and logistical obstacles in the war-torn region.
Historical Context and Ongoing Conflict
The current crisis builds upon decades of conflict in Darfur. The region has experienced violence since 2003 when rebel groups began fighting against the Sudanese government, accusing it of oppressing Darfur's non-Arab population. This led to a campaign of ethnic cleansing that resulted in hundreds of thousands of civilian deaths and the indictment of Sudan's former president Omar al-Bashir for genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court.
The current conflict between the Sudanese military and the RSF has created a perfect storm of humanitarian need, with the air bridge representing a critical but potentially insufficient response to a crisis of this magnitude.
International Response and Future Challenges
The EU's air bridge comes as the UN prepares to launch a record $4.2 billion funding appeal to support aid operations in Sudan. Humanitarian efforts are severely hampered by insecurity and limited access, with aid workers facing constant threats in their attempts to deliver assistance.
As one humanitarian worker on the ground noted, 'Getting aid into Darfur is only half the battle. Ensuring it reaches the people who need it most, without being diverted or stolen, remains our greatest challenge.'
The success of the EU's air bridge will depend not only on the safe delivery of supplies but also on establishing secure distribution networks and overcoming the complex political and security obstacles that have characterized the Darfur conflict for over two decades.