Two trucks carrying food aid for South Kordofan state were destroyed in an aerial attack on August 30 outside the city of Dilling, the World Food Programme said on Wednesday. The convoy was headed to Kadugli and carried 50 metric tonnes of cereals, yellow split peas, vegetable oil and salt. The WFP said the supplies were enough to provide food assistance to 5,800 people for one month.
The trucks were clearly marked with WFP banners and flags, according to the UN agency. Kadugli is an area where the WFP supports nearly 58,000 people facing emergency levels of food insecurity or worse. The WFP condemned the attack and called it the latest example of the difficult operating environment for humanitarian agencies in Sudan.
The attack occurred during a war between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces, former allies whose conflict erupted in April 2023. The UN has repeatedly called for an end to the fighting. Some 30 million people required humanitarian assistance last year as a result of the conflict.
Since January, the WFP has recorded eight aerial attacks that have damaged its premises and disrupted operations. The agency urged all parties to protect civilians, aid workers and humanitarian assets under international humanitarian law and said attacks on humanitarian operations must stop.