The UN World Food Programme (WFP) on Monday condemned a deadly airstrike on two trucks delivering aid in South Kordofan state, Sudan, which resulted in the death of one of the drivers.

According to the WFP, the attack occurred in the early hours of Saturday, when two trucks clearly marked as humanitarian vehicles were transporting food and other commodities to civilians in South Kordofan. The organisation did not provide any further details about the circumstances of the airstrike or the extent of damage to the food cargo, which are under assessment. Consequently, the WFP called for an investigation into the attack and urged that all those responsible be held accountable.

The WFP further noted that this incident highlights the increasingly difficult conditions in which aid workers operate and deliver life-saving assistance to needy communities amid the deteriorating security situation in Sudan, where the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have been involved in an armed conflict since 2023. Despite these dangerous conditions, the WFP stressed that it remains committed to providing aid to millions of people across Sudan who rely on humanitarian support.

Additionally, the UN organisation urged the warring parties to respect their obligations under international humanitarian law, which prohibits attacks on humanitarian workers, and to protect civilians and ensure the safe and unimpeded delivery of humanitarian assistance.

The ongoing armed conflict has plunged Sudan into a humanitarian crisis and resulted in a high number of deaths among civilians and aid workers, as well as widespread displacement. In early September, the WFP reported that an aerial strike destroyed two food trucks outside the city of Dilling.

The intensifying violence has also caused significant damage to civilian infrastructure, including healthcare facilities and schools, which deprived people of vital medical services and disrupted children’s access to education. In response, the UN’s global education fund decided to provide $22 million to help students return to education.

On September 4, the UN revealed in a report that external support networks were fueling the Sudanese armed conflict, thus contributing to the escalation of civilian harm. The support is not limited to military support and weapons supply but also includes economic support by sustaining the Sudanese conflict’s war economy.