UN Aid Convoy Attacked in Darfur, Resulting in Multiple Casualties
Five fatalities reported as conflict escalates in Sudan's Darfur region amidst severe humanitarian crisis.
A United Nations (UN) aid convoy, tasked with delivering essential food supplies to the famine-threatened city of El Fasher in North Darfur, has come under attack, leading to the deaths of five individuals and several injuries.
The convoy, composed of trucks from the UN’s World Food Programme (WFP) and UNICEF, was targeted approximately 45 miles (75 kilometers) from its destination in Al Koma, an area under the control of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
Since April 15, 2023, Sudan has witnessed intense fighting between two factions of its military regime: the Sudanese Armed Forces, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the RSF, led by General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, commonly referred to as Hemedti.
The RSF originated as the Janjaweed, a militia group created by former President Omar al-Bashir during the Darfur conflict, and was restructured in 2013 into the RSF.
According to UN officials, the ongoing conflict has precipitated a humanitarian crisis described as one of the worst in recent history.
The violence and instability have resulted in the world’s largest displacement crisis, with more than 10 million individuals displaced internally and 4 million fleeing to neighboring countries, including Chad and South Sudan.
The attack on the aid convoy was condemned by both WFP and UNICEF, prompting a call for an investigation.
A local emergency group reported that the convoy was attacked while waiting for approval to continue towards El Fasher.
The origin of the attack remains disputed, with accusations exchanged between the Sudanese military and the RSF.
Notably, the Al-Koma Emergency Room released footage of a torched truck, alleging that such assaults were conducted by Sudanese army drones.
This incident follows a weekend airstrike purportedly executed by the Sudanese military, which claimed the lives of at least 89 civilians in a market in Al Koma.
The region, predominantly under RSF control, has seen aid trucks face significant challenges accessing El Fasher due to numerous RSF checkpoints.
El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur and home to approximately 2 million residents—including around 800,000 internally displaced persons—remains besieged, enduring daily shelling, leading to an acute shortage of food supplies.
Activists in the city report that basic food items, such as maize and wheat, are no longer available, and supply routes have been severely restricted.
Local volunteers noted that the only goods entering the city now are transported by a limited number of donkeys, often subjected to scrutiny at RSF checkpoints.
The civil conflict has devastated Sudan, generating a humanitarian crisis affecting millions.
Reports from various organizations indicate that both the Sudanese army and the RSF face allegations of committing war crimes and utilizing starvation as a tactic in their ongoing warfare.
As of now, the number of internally displaced individuals has reached a staggering 11.6 million, marking a significant portion as concentrated in the Darfur region.
The convoy, composed of trucks from the UN’s World Food Programme (WFP) and UNICEF, was targeted approximately 45 miles (75 kilometers) from its destination in Al Koma, an area under the control of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
Since April 15, 2023, Sudan has witnessed intense fighting between two factions of its military regime: the Sudanese Armed Forces, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the RSF, led by General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, commonly referred to as Hemedti.
The RSF originated as the Janjaweed, a militia group created by former President Omar al-Bashir during the Darfur conflict, and was restructured in 2013 into the RSF.
According to UN officials, the ongoing conflict has precipitated a humanitarian crisis described as one of the worst in recent history.
The violence and instability have resulted in the world’s largest displacement crisis, with more than 10 million individuals displaced internally and 4 million fleeing to neighboring countries, including Chad and South Sudan.
The attack on the aid convoy was condemned by both WFP and UNICEF, prompting a call for an investigation.
A local emergency group reported that the convoy was attacked while waiting for approval to continue towards El Fasher.
The origin of the attack remains disputed, with accusations exchanged between the Sudanese military and the RSF.
Notably, the Al-Koma Emergency Room released footage of a torched truck, alleging that such assaults were conducted by Sudanese army drones.
This incident follows a weekend airstrike purportedly executed by the Sudanese military, which claimed the lives of at least 89 civilians in a market in Al Koma.
The region, predominantly under RSF control, has seen aid trucks face significant challenges accessing El Fasher due to numerous RSF checkpoints.
El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur and home to approximately 2 million residents—including around 800,000 internally displaced persons—remains besieged, enduring daily shelling, leading to an acute shortage of food supplies.
Activists in the city report that basic food items, such as maize and wheat, are no longer available, and supply routes have been severely restricted.
Local volunteers noted that the only goods entering the city now are transported by a limited number of donkeys, often subjected to scrutiny at RSF checkpoints.
The civil conflict has devastated Sudan, generating a humanitarian crisis affecting millions.
Reports from various organizations indicate that both the Sudanese army and the RSF face allegations of committing war crimes and utilizing starvation as a tactic in their ongoing warfare.
As of now, the number of internally displaced individuals has reached a staggering 11.6 million, marking a significant portion as concentrated in the Darfur region.