At least three humanitarian workers have been killed, and some others injured, when a drone strike hit a relief convoy in the South Kordofan region in Sudan on Friday, as more international bodies warned of increasing security risks to aid deliveries in the war-torn country.
The attack- blamed on the ongoing clash between the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group and the federal army- occurred at a humanitarian convoy traveling through an unstable passage in South Kordofan region, which has repeatedly seen drone strikes on civilians and aid deliveries.
Local sources and medical workers have said that at least three aid workers were killed and four others injured in an aerial assault on a humanitarian convoy carrying food and medical supplies to areas cut off due to prolonged war.
Humanitarian actors have repeatedly voiced concern over the escalating insecurity on the ground as the delivery of aid goods continues to be disrupted by the use of drones, mortar fire, and gunshots, while some organizations have even withdrawn their staff from areas on the fringes of conflict zones. “The consistent use of drones over busy routes poses a serious risk to both civilians and those working to help them,” one of the humanitarian workers has reportedly said.
This surge in violence has occurred alongside a rise in the number of confirmed drone strikes across Kordofan and its neighboring states, which have resulted in scores of civilian deaths, closure of markets and health facilities, and a further deterioration of the humanitarian situation.
The international community expressed condemnation after reports of attacks on areas inhabited by civilians as well as humanitarian facilities, and urged separate and comprehensive investigations as well as enhanced protection according to the International Law.
The Sudan crisis, which broke out in April 2023, has displaced millions and strained humanitarian assistance across Sudan, while the aid workers, as well as civilians, faced constant threats from aerial and ground strikes.