UN assistance employees murdered in ambush in Sudan

(MENAFN) At least five United Nations aid workers lost their lives and several others were injured when an armed group ambushed a humanitarian convoy in Sudan, where fighting between rival forces has persisted for over two years.

The convoy, a joint operation by the World Food Program (WFP) and UNICEF, was traveling to the conflict-ridden city of Al Fashir in North Darfur. The attack occurred while the convoy was parked 80 kilometers from the city, waiting for clearance, the agencies said in a statement released Tuesday.

Comprising 15 trucks, the convoy was delivering vital food and nutrition supplies to children and families affected by famine in Al Fashir.

The statement revealed that several trucks were set on fire, and critical humanitarian aid was damaged. The five victims were Sudanese contractors working for the UN agencies.

UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric strongly condemned the brutal attack on Tuesday.

The convoy had traveled over 1,800 kilometers from Port Sudan—a city that has recently suffered drone strikes—and would have been the first aid delivery to Al Fashir in more than a year.

This ambush follows a recent surge in violence, including last week’s bombing of WFP facilities in Al Fashir and a deadly drone strike on a hospital in El Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan.

Sudan has been engulfed in conflict since April 2023, when fighting erupted between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The war has displaced over 9 million people, with famine and disease rapidly spreading.

The UN reports that at least 1.5 million people are trapped in Al Fashir and nearby camps, cut off from continuous aid.

On Tuesday, WFP and UNICEF warned that hundreds of thousands in the region—many children—face an urgent threat of malnutrition and starvation without immediate aid delivery.

Both agencies emphasized that, despite the insecurity, their teams remain committed on the ground. They urged Sudan’s warring factions to respect international humanitarian law and protect aid workers.

They also demanded an immediate halt to attacks on humanitarian personnel, facilities, and vehicles.

MENAFN12062025000045015687ID1109665807