Published on: 2026-11-03
Source: United Nations – United Nations –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
November 3, 2026 Peace and Security
Drone strikes on civilian infrastructure in Sudan disrupt hospital operations and hinder people’s access to water. Amid fuel shortages, people lose their livelihoods, and it becomes harder for humanitarian organizations to deliver aid. This was reported in an interview with the UN News Service by the UN Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan, Denise Brown.
Over the past weeks, according to her, the strikes have become especially intense. Their targets, apparently, have been systematically objects of energy and fuel infrastructure. Brown reminded that civilian infrastructure is protected by international humanitarian law.
World Health Organization staff visited a hospital near Khartoum the day before. As the coordinator explained, the electricity went out there due to drone strikes. The hospital had neither a generator nor solar panels, so dialysis for 25 patients had to be stopped. Power outages also affect women needing assistance during childbirth, Brown emphasized.
Humanitarian crisis
In Khartoum, multi-kilometer queues are forming at gas stations. Auto-rickshaw drivers, who transport people to work and markets, are forced to wait for fuel for several consecutive days and cannot earn their daily wages. In addition, markets and places sheltering displaced persons have been subjected to strikes. “This is happening everywhere and is causing increasing concern,” Brown said.
The priority of UN humanitarian agencies is saving lives. They work together with international and local non-governmental organizations and local communities, who, according to the coordinator, are the first to provide aid and are constantly at the forefront. However, war, mass population displacement, and the destruction of the healthcare system are exacerbated by a deficit of rainfall in recent months. In some areas of Darfur and Kordofan, people, especially farmers, go in search of food. UNICEF research shows that the level of severe acute malnutrition in many parts of the country exceeds the emergency threshold, especially in areas directly affected by the war.
The delivery of aid is also hindered by a fuel shortage: hundreds of trucks carrying food, nutritional products, shelter materials, and non-food items are unable to continue their journey. According to Brown, the UN has managed to make significant progress in resolving visa and permit issues, but without fuel, movement is impossible. Organizations are trying daily to ensure safe access to hard-to-reach areas, including Dilling in South Kordofan, parts of Blue Nile and Darfur, as well as West Kordofan.
This year, convoys of the World Food Programme, which transports food to those in need across the country, have been attacked seven times; there have been 20 such incidents over the past two years. The attacks lead to loss of life and loss of food supplies intended for those who need it most, Brown said.
“We need help”
The UN also strives to protect people by its presence in places where they need help: staff communicate with communities and monitor what is happening. According to Brown, the number of reports of conflict-related sexual violence is very high. Speaking about the atrocities in El Fasher in October 2025, she noted that there are many thousands of such cases.
The coordinator emphasized that the UN discusses its concerns with the authorities and other parties and is obliged to cooperate with all participants in the conflict.
“We need help. We need to convey to those who must hear this message that this must stop,” she stated. Brown called on UN member states to work towards reducing tensions and reminded that the responsibility for stopping the strikes lies primarily with those who carry them out.
Lack of funding
Humanitarian organizations also lack funding. The World Food Programme is reducing both the number of people it can assist and the size of the rations. In a camp in Blue Nile state, people told Brown that they needed food. “I had to answer, ‘Please be patient.’ But how can you ask people to wait for food?” she said.
“This is not about politics. It’s about people – about putting the people of Sudan at the center of what is happening and at least taking care of their basic needs,” Brown emphasized.
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