(MENAFN) Washington has issued a sharp rebuke following a drone assault on a United Nations World Food Programme vehicle delivering emergency supplies to civilians fleeing violence and starvation in Sudan's Darfur territory, officials announced Saturday.

Massad Boulos, senior advisor for Arab and African affairs at the US State Department, issued a statement via X, the American social media platform, declaring: "The United States condemns the drone attack on a UN World Food Programme (WFP) truck carrying life-saving food to displaced persons in Darfur fleeing atrocities and famine."

The advisor revealed this marks the sixth assault on WFP humanitarian operations within Sudan during the current calendar year.

Boulos leveled accusations at both combatant factions, charging them with weaponizing hunger against civilian populations. He emphasized: "Humanitarian staff and assets must never be a target."

The official issued a direct appeal to the conflicting parties, stating: "The United States calls on Sudan's warring parties to cease hostilities and allow unhindered humanitarian access."

According to the WFP, Thursday's strike hit one of its trucks traveling near Hamra El Sheikh in North Darfur. The vehicle belonged to a 39-truck convoy delivering food aid to families who had escaped to Tawilah in search of sustenance and protection.

The assault obliterated the truck's cabin and left the driver with severe injuries, the WFP reported, demanding an immediate independent investigation into the incident.

Sudan's war between government military forces and the Rapid Support Forces—erupting in April 2023—has claimed thousands of lives while forcing millions from their homes.

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