Jakarta. Sudan is hoping for humanitarian aid from Indonesia as the armed clashes have left many people injured and hospitals damaged.

More than two weeks have passed since the fighting broke out between Sudan's military forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RFS). 

“We do need urgent humanitarian assistance, especially for those who are wounded. Some hospitals have also been destroyed,” Sudanese Ambassador to Indonesia Yassir Mohamed Ali told Indonesian reporters at his Jakarta residence on Wednesday.

Yassir hopes to meet Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin soon to discuss some possible assistance. He also plans to meet Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi and brief her on the latest developments in Sudan.

“We seek the assistance of Indonesian brothers in international forums,” Yassir said.

Most of the humanitarian aid rushing to Sudan comes from Middle Eastern nations such as the United Arab Emirates (UAE), according to Yassir. The UAE recently announced it would provide $50 million worth of emergency aid for Sudan. Eight tons of medical aid from the Red Cross also landed in Sudan over the weekend.

“The support for humanitarian aid such as medicines is coming into Sudan on a regular basis. The government is open to any humanitarian assistance. Hopefully, we will see some [assistance] from Indonesia soon,” Yassir said.

Many Sudanese have fled the capital Khartoum to the rural areas or neighboring country Egypt. Indonesia was an unlikely destination for the Sudanese refugees due to the distance, Yassir told reporters. 

According to the Foreign Affairs Ministry on Monday, Indonesia has evacuated 949 Indonesian citizens out of Sudan, 829 of whom have landed in Indonesia. 

Yassir said many of the Indonesians living in Sudan were studying at Khartoum’s universities.

“If God wills, after things have settled down, hopefully [the Indonesian students] will return to Sudan to continue their studies,” he added.