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United Nations (UN) aid office pushes for ‘unhindered’ humanitarian access in Sudan
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In recent days the Emergency Relief Coordinator has travelled to various parts of the war-torn country and met leaders, frontline responders and survivors of the crisis.
“We need more UN boots on the ground,” Mr. Fletcher said. “The UN is a ship that was not built to stay in the harbour, and this visit has been part of that big push to make sure we're mobilised closer to those we serve.”
Progress on negotiations
Mr. Fletcher said he had a “useful” meeting with General Burhan, leader of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), focused on getting “unlimited” and “unhindered” humanitarian access.
He also met representatives from the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia in what was a “tough” discussion, where he set out “unequivocally” that the UN will be expecting protection for civilians and insisting on accountability and safe passages for civilians and aid convoys.
“We have, I think, a pretty strong agreement from the authorities [of the military government] in Port Sudan and the RSF on full access and safe passage for our convoys to go in and for civilians to get out,” Mr. Fletcher said. “Now let's see what happens next.”
‘Crime scene' in El Fasher
The UN also made progress on getting teams into El Fasher, in Darfur, on the organization's terms, Mr. Fletcher added.
“We're not going to be instrumentalised,” he emphasized. “This is a potential crime scene, and we've got to make sure we've got the right people going in, and that the aid is genuinely neutral and impartial.”
El Fasher was captured by the RSF last month after more than 500 days of siege, leading to the displacement of some 90,000 people since the end of October.
When asked about the number of deaths in El Fasher, Mr. Fletcher said there is no credible answer on how many have been killed so far.
There are hundreds of thousands of people in Tawila, but “many people clearly aren't getting out of El Fasher,” he said.
“One of the things we want to do when we go in is to find out why that is and to see what the conditions are, in which they are being held there.”
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of UN News.Explore more
United Nations (UN) aid office pushes for ‘unhindered’ humanitarian access in Sudan
Download logo
In recent days the Emergency Relief Coordinator has travelled to various parts of the war-torn country and met leaders, frontline responders and survivors of the crisis.
“We need more UN boots on the ground,” Mr. Fletcher said. “The UN is a ship that was not built to stay in the harbour, and this visit has been part of that big push to make sure we're mobilised closer to those we serve.”
Progress on negotiations
Mr. Fletcher said he had a “useful” meeting with General Burhan, leader of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), focused on getting “unlimited” and “unhindered” humanitarian access.
He also met representatives from the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia in what was a “tough” discussion, where he set out “unequivocally” that the UN will be expecting protection for civilians and insisting on accountability and safe passages for civilians and aid convoys.
“We have, I think, a pretty strong agreement from the authorities [of the military government] in Port Sudan and the RSF on full access and safe passage for our convoys to go in and for civilians to get out,” Mr. Fletcher said. “Now let's see what happens next.”
‘Crime scene' in El Fasher
The UN also made progress on getting teams into El Fasher, in Darfur, on the organization's terms, Mr. Fletcher added.
“We're not going to be instrumentalised,” he emphasized. “This is a potential crime scene, and we've got to make sure we've got the right people going in, and that the aid is genuinely neutral and impartial.”
El Fasher was captured by the RSF last month after more than 500 days of siege, leading to the displacement of some 90,000 people since the end of October.
When asked about the number of deaths in El Fasher, Mr. Fletcher said there is no credible answer on how many have been killed so far.
There are hundreds of thousands of people in Tawila, but “many people clearly aren't getting out of El Fasher,” he said.
“One of the things we want to do when we go in is to find out why that is and to see what the conditions are, in which they are being held there.”
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of UN News.Islamic Corporation for the Insurance of Investment and Export Credit (ICIEC) and Afreximbank Forge Strategic Partnership to Boost Arab–Africa Trade and Investment
The Islamic Corporation for the Insurance of Investment and Export Credit (ICIEC), a Shariah-based multilateral insurer and member of the Islamic Development Bank Group, and African Export‑Import Bank (Afreximbank) (www.Afreximbank.com) are pleased to announce the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to strengthen their cooperation in promoting trade and investment flows across Arab and African countries.
The MoU was signed in Cairo, Egypt, on 27 October 2025 by Eng. Yasser Alaki, Director of the Business Development Department at ICIEC, and Mr. Kofi Asumadu Addo, Director, Guarantees and Specialised Finance at Afreximbank who represented the Bank's Executive Vice President, Global Trade Bank, Mr. Haytham ElMaayergi.
The partnership provides a robust framework for collaboration, enabling the two parties to harmonise their efforts in supporting Arab-African businesses seeking regional market opportunities while facilitating practical information exchange in areas where access to trade and investment intelligence has been limited. Through the cooperation, ICIEC and Afreximbank will align their strategic decision-support tools, developing synergies to better serve public- and private-sector actors across their respective networks.
Areas of cooperation covered in the MoU include risk-sharing mechanisms, which will underpin Afreximbank's efforts to mobilise financing in support of trade; a structured exchange of information to strengthen the outreach and insight of both institutions; support for Afreximbank's digital platforms; access for both partners to TRADAR Club offerings, such as TRADAR Intelligence (TIP) and TRADAR Regulations (TRIP); joint capacity-building and advisory services; collaborative work in marketing, promotion and product development; and deployment of the AfrexInsure initiative to maximise risk mitigation and trade-finance tools.
Eng. Yasser Alaki, Director of the Business Development Department at ICIEC commented, “This partnership marks a milestone in our shared commitment to inclusive and sustainable trade and investment across the Arab-Africa corridor. By combining ICIEC's risk-mitigation expertise with Afreximbank's expansive financing and advisory platform, we are enabling businesses to move from ambition to action. Together, we will unlock new opportunities and deliver strategic value-add to trade flows that benefit our member countries and private-sector partners.”
Commenting on the MoU, Mr Haytham ElMaayergi, Executive Vice President of Global Trade Bank at Afreximbank noted, “This MoU is a testament to the long-standing relationship between Afreximbank and ICIEC aimed at deepening Arab-Africa trade. It is expected to generate mutually beneficial and meaningful outcomes in areas such as market development, risk-sharing, digital innovation, and capacity building. Both institutions look forward to advancing our joint initiatives, including the achievement of the strategic objectives of the Arab African Trade Bridge.”
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Afreximbank.Contact:
Email: ICIEC-Communication@isdb.org
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About The Islamic Corporation for the Insurance of Investment and Export Credit (ICIEC):
As a member of the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Group, ICIEC commenced operations in 1994 to strengthen economic relations between OIC Member States and promote intra-OIC trade and investments by providing risk mitigation tools and financial solutions. The Corporation is the only Islamic multilateral insurer in the world. It has led from the front to deliver a comprehensive suite of solutions to counterparts in its 51 Member States. ICIEC, for the 18th consecutive year, maintained an "Aa3" insurance financial strength credit rating from Moody's, ranking the Corporation among the top of the Credit and Political Risk Insurance (CPRI) industry. Additionally, S&P has reaffirmed ICIEC's "AA-" long-term Issuer Credit and Financial Strength Rating for the second year with a stable outlook. ICIEC's resilience is underpinned by its sound underwriting, global reinsurance network, and strong risk management policies. Cumulatively, ICIEC has insured more than USD 121 billion in trade and investment. ICIEC activities are directed to several sectors—energy, manufacturing, infrastructure, healthcare, and agriculture.
For more information, Visit http://ICIEC.IsDB.org
About the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank):
African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) is a Pan-African multilateral financial institution mandated to finance and promote intra- and extra-African trade. For over 30 years, the Bank has been deploying innovative structures to deliver financing solutions that support the transformation of the structure of Africa's trade, accelerating industrialisation and intra-regional trade, thereby boosting economic expansion in Africa. A stalwart supporter of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA), Afreximbank has launched a Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS) that was adopted by the African Union (AU) as the payment and settlement platform to underpin the implementation of the AfCFTA. Working with the AfCFTA Secretariat and the AU, the Bank has set up a US$10 billion Adjustment Fund to support countries effectively participating in the AfCFTA. At the end of December 2024, Afreximbank's total assets and contingencies stood at over US$40.1 billion, and its shareholder funds amounted to US$7.2 billion. Afreximbank has investment grade ratings assigned by GCR (international scale) (A), Moody's (Baa2), China Chengxin International Credit Rating Co., Ltd (CCXI) (AAA), Japan Credit Rating Agency (JCR) (A-) and Fitch (BBB-). Afreximbank has evolved into a group entity comprising the Bank, its equity impact fund subsidiary called the Fund for Export Development Africa (FEDA), and its insurance management subsidiary, AfrexInsure (together, “the Group”). The Bank is headquartered in Cairo, Egypt. www.Afreximbank.com
Training on dates farming development
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The Ministry of Agriculture branch in the Southern Red Sea Region provided training on date farming with a view to enhancing the understanding of exemplary farmers and agricultural professionals on date farming development.
The theoretical and practical training covered the management and treatment of date palm trees, modalities of cross-breeding date palm trees, product collection, post-harvest management, fertilization methods, and major pests and diseases that affect the development of date palm trees, as well as the advantages and benefits of dates along the Red Sea coast.
Mr. Mohammed Abdulrahman, head of the agriculture office branch, said that the objective of the training was to enhance the understanding of farmers and agricultural experts, as well as to produce an abundant date harvest and supply the market.
The trainees called for the sustainability of the training program.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Information, Eritrea.
