On Monday, an attack on a convoy delivering essential supplies in the besieged city of El Fasher, western Sudan, resulted in the deaths of five people and injuries to several others, as reported by the UN.
Several of the 15 trucks transporting food to families in dire need were ignited near Koma, North Darfur, according to a joint statement from the World Food Program (PAM) and Unicef. The convoy, which had traveled 1,800 kilometers from Port Sudan and included trucks from these UN agencies, was awaiting authorization to proceed to El Fasher.
As per protocol, the convoy had notified the involved parties of its route, ensuring that both warring factions were aware of the trucks’ location.
The two UN agencies called for an immediate halt to attacks on humanitarian workers, their facilities, and vehicles, highlighting that such actions breach international humanitarian law.
Since April 2023, Sudan has been embroiled in a power struggle between General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the de facto leader following the 2021 coup, and his former deputy, Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, head of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.
Both factions accuse each other of the attack in Koma, with the IDF claiming the army intentionally targeted the convoy and the government alleging that paramilitary forces used drones against the trucks.
PAM and Unicef remarked that the Koma incident is part of a broader pattern of assaults on humanitarian efforts in Sudan, condemning the “impunity” of those responsible. Last Thursday, PAM’s offices in El Fasher, which has been under siege by paramilitaries since May 2024, were severely damaged due to repeated bombardments by the IDF.
Koma is situated approximately 80 kilometers from El Fasher, in a strategically significant region of Darfur where intense clashes have recently occurred.
Since losing control of Khartoum in March, the ISF have concentrated their efforts on western Sudan, aiming to capture El Fasher, the last provincial capital eluding their control. The UN reports that three internally displaced persons (IDP) camps near the city are experiencing famine, with five other areas, including El Fasher, at risk of imminent famine.
The ongoing war in Sudan, now approaching its third year, has resulted in the deaths of thousands, displacing around 13 million people and leaving much of the population facing starvation. The UN has described the situation as “the largest humanitarian crisis” globally.
According to UNHCR spokesperson Eugene Bune, around 4 million people have fled Sudan in recent years. Of these, 1.5 million have gone to Egypt, over 1.1 million to South Sudan (including around 800,000 South Sudanese refugees), and at least 850,000 to Chad. Notably, 68,556 refugees entered the Wadi Fira and East Enedi provinces in Chad about a month ago, with nearly 1,400 border crossings occurring daily in recent days.
Ask me anything
Explore related questions
