Uganda's Air Serv has deployed a Cessna Grand Caravan to Khartoum, Sudan, to assist displaced citizens forced from their homes due to drought and conflict.

In addition to surges in violence, affected populations are also threatened by food level insecurity. While aid worker access to communities has improved since the lifting of US sanctions last October, road travel outside of Khartoum remains limited.

The news follows Air Serv's involvement in relieving the Ebola crisis in DRC, as reported by EBAN in May.

The Khartoum-bound Caravan departed from its base in Entebbe last month with a crew of two pilots, an engineer and a base manager. Providing transport for relief agencies working in the region, the short term operation will be evaluated and potentially extended after an initial two-month period.

"As long as our services are needed, we will continue working and responding to challenging situations in difficult places," states CEO Stu Willcuts.