Khartoum, Feb 18 (IANS): Sudan's government has extended the opening of the Adre border crossing with Chad by three months, effective February 16, 2025, to facilitate humanitarian aid deliveries, particularly to the war-torn Darfur region, the foreign ministry said.

The ministry on Monday said the extension underscored Sudan's commitment to using all available border crossings to alleviate suffering. A previous three-month extension had been granted in mid-November 2024.

The Adre crossing is a key route for aid reaching western Sudan, and UN agencies have warned that its closure would severely hamper humanitarian efforts.

Sudan has demanded guarantees that the crossing will not be used for weapons smuggling to the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and that aid deliveries will not be impeded by "militias." The government has accused the RSF of using the crossing for weapons transport.

Sudan has been gripped by conflict between the army and the RSF since mid-April 2023. While official figures are lower, research groups estimate the death toll is significantly higher than the 29,683 fatalities reported by the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data by the end of 2024, as cited by the United Nations.

Earlier the United Nations (UN) has launched a $6 billion humanitarian appeal to assist nearly 26 million Sudanese affected by the ongoing conflict, both inside Sudan and in neighbouring countries, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) announced in a statement on Monday.

The statement announced the launch of the 2025 Sudan Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan and the Regional Refugee Response Plan, requiring 6 billion to assist nearly 21 million people inside Sudan and up to 5 million refugees in neighboring countries.

"Sudan is a humanitarian emergency of shocking proportions," Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher was quoted in the statement as saying.