The United Nations and the United States have confirmed that drone strikes targeted humanitarian aid operations in Sudan’s North Kordofan state this week, highlighting a growing and dangerous pattern of attacks on relief efforts amid the country’s worsening humanitarian crisis.
In a formal statement, Denise Brown, the United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Sudan, said the attacks occurred between February 6 and 7 and struck a convoy of trucks contracted by the World Food Programme.
The convoy was traveling from Kosti in White Nile State to El Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan, transporting life-saving food assistance for displaced and famine-affected communities. At least one person was killed and several others injured when drones hit the vehicles. Several trucks caught fire, destroying food supplies intended for vulnerable civilians.
Brown said she personally witnessed the aftermath of the strike while departing El Obeid and condemned the attack in the strongest terms.
“Humanitarian personnel, assets, and supplies must be protected at all times,” she said, stressing that the deliberate targeting of aid operations constitutes a violation of international humanitarian law.
The attack follows another drone strike earlier this week near a World Food Programme facility in Yabus, Blue Nile State, which injured a staff member and heightened concern among humanitarian agencies operating in Sudan.
The United States also issued a sharp condemnation. In a statement delivered by Senior Advisor Massad Boulos, Washington said it has “zero tolerance” for attacks on humanitarian assistance, particularly aid funded by U.S. taxpayers. The statement demanded accountability from the leadership of Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces, whom U.S. officials have accused of responsibility for attacks on civilians and humanitarian infrastructure.
Sudanese medical and civil society groups also reported additional violence in North Kordofan. The Sudan Doctors Network said a separate drone strike hit a vehicle carrying displaced families near the town of Er-Rahad on Saturday, February 7, killing 24 civilians, including eight children.
The attacks come as Sudan faces one of the world’s most severe humanitarian emergencies. According to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification and the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, famine conditions have now been confirmed in two additional localities in North Darfur—Um Baru and Kernoi.
Humanitarian agencies warn that both Darfur and the Kordofan regions are experiencing extreme, life-threatening deprivation. More than 11 million people have been displaced by the conflict, making Sudan the largest internal displacement crisis globally. An estimated 21 to 29 million people—more than 60 percent of the population—are currently facing acute food insecurity.
The United Nations and international human rights organizations have repeatedly warned that the deliberate targeting of food supplies, aid workers, and humanitarian convoys amounts to a war crime under international law.
As fighting continues and humanitarian access becomes increasingly constrained, aid officials warn that further attacks on relief operations could drive already vulnerable communities deeper into famine and mass displacement.
