The UN condemned the attack on its aid convoy near el-Fasher, North Darfur, which was carrying essential supplies to famine-stricken areas. Both the Rapid Support Forces and the Sudanese army accused one another of being behind the drone strike that led to the tragic incident.
Tragic Attack on UN Aid Convoy Leaves Five Dead in Sudan
Tragic Attack on UN Aid Convoy Leaves Five Dead in Sudan
A UN aid convoy in Sudan was ambushed, resulting in five fatalities and multiple injuries, as local violence continues to escalate.
Five individuals lost their lives, and several others sustained injuries in a brutal attack on a United Nations aid convoy in Sudan on Monday evening, according to reports from UN agencies. The convoy, comprising trucks from the UN's World Food Programme, was targeted near el-Koma in North Darfur, leading to several vehicles being burned.
The ongoing civil strife in Sudan, primarily involving the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the national army, has led to both factions blaming each other for the assault. The UN has not publicly detailed the specifics of the incident but is urgently calling for a thorough investigation to bring those responsible to justice.
The convoy's mission was critical, aimed at delivering food and nutrition supplies to children and families in the besieged city of el-Fasher, a locality that remains under army control amid persistent RSF assaults over the past year. The food and children’s agencies expressed profound disappointment that aid could not reach the desperate communities in el-Fasher, which are grappling with famine.
Local volunteer responders from el-Koma Emergency Room shared a video on social media showcasing a destroyed truck that was laden with supplies at the time of the attack. They attributed the assault to the Sudanese army, a claim that has not been addressed by military officials.
The RSF's control over el-Koma has made the area a frequent target for violence amid the power struggle with the army, resulting in numerous civilian deaths and wreaking havoc on vital infrastructure. On the preceding day, the Sudan Tribune reported that airstrikes by the army on a bustling market in el-Koma caused at least 89 injuries and fatalities.
Since the civil war ignited in 2023 amidst a fierce battle for power between the army and RSF, it has spiraled into one of the gravest humanitarian crises globally, displacing over four million people, as indicated by Eujin Byun, the UN refugee agency's spokesperson.
