A convoy of 15 trucks carrying vital food and nutrition supplies was attacked while trying to reach families in el-Fasher, a city in North Darfur. The United Nations agencies involved, including the World Food Programme and UNICEF, expressed deep disappointment that the aid could not reach the people in need, especially the children facing famine in the area.
El-Fasher is currently the last major city in North Darfur under the control of the Sudanese army. For over a year, both civilians and military personnel in the city have faced ongoing attacks from the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group. The convoy was specifically on a mission to deliver life-saving supplies when it was ambushed.
Local volunteer responders, known as the el-Koma Emergency Room, shared a video on social media showing one of the trucks burned and destroyed. They attributed the attack to the Sudanese army, although the army has not commented on these claims.
The area of El-Koma, which is under RSF control, has seen frequent violence during the ongoing conflict between the RSF and the army. Recent assaults have resulted in civilian casualties and significant damage to infrastructure. In one incident, airstrikes by Sudanese army warplanes reportedly killed or injured at least 89 people in El-Koma, striking a busy market.
This conflict, which started more than two years ago, has led to one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world. According to the UN refugee agency, more than four million people have fled their homes since the fighting began. The civil war erupted in 2023 due to a power struggle between the army and the RSF, following their joint coup that disrupted Sudan’s path to democracy.