Sudan04 October, 20262 min read
US Denounces Airstrike That Killed WFP Worker in Sudan’s South Kordofan
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Airstrike hit two World Food Programme trucks in South Kordofan, killing one driver. Trucks were clearly marked as humanitarian; WFP condemns attack and seeks impartial investigation.
9 outlets told this the same way.
Airstrike hits WFP convoy
The United States denounced an airstrike that targeted a convoy operated by the World Food Programme in Sudan’s South Kordofan state, and the strike killed a humanitarian worker. Massad Boulos, US presidential adviser for African affairs, said the convoy was carrying urgently needed food supplies when it came under attack in South Kordofan, and he called the repeated attacks a “clear and dangerous pattern.”
The UAE condemned an aerial attack on two World Food Programme-contracted trucks carrying food supplies between Dilling and Kadugli in Sudan’s South Kordofan State, and the attack killed one driver. WFP said the airstrike hit two trucks contracted to carry programme food between Dalang and Qadqli in South Kordofan, and the airstrike resulted in the death of one of the drivers, without clarifying who was responsible.
Calls for investigation
Wolfram Vetter, head of the European Union delegation to Sudan, condemned the attack and said the WFP is transporting vital humanitarian assistance, funded by international donors, to civilians, women, children, and vulnerable elderly people. The WFP confirmed that an air attack targeted two trucks contracted by the programme and carrying its food supplies in South Kordofan during the early hours of Saturday, 3 October, and it killed one of the drivers.
WFP said the trucks were clearly marked as humanitarian vehicles and were travelling from Dilling to Kadugli, while the agency said it had not identified those responsible and was still gathering details about the circumstances of the attack. Radio Dabanga reported that the Sudan Doctors Network condemned what it described as an attack by RSF drones on trucks contracted by the UN’s World Food Programme, and the network said the attack killed one driver.
Humanitarian access at risk
The United States called for an end to attacks against aid personnel and for unimpeded humanitarian access to civilians at risk of famine, saying “People in Sudan who need food and humanitarian assistance need access now and without obstruction.” WFP warned that the incidents threaten humanitarian operations in a country where conflict has left millions of people reliant on emergency food, healthcare, shelter and other essential support.
The WFP statement said the attack occurred one day after another WFP truck struck an explosive device in Dilling, South Kordofan, after delivering food assistance. The WFP urged all parties to the conflict to respect their obligations under international humanitarian law, protect civilians and civilian infrastructure, and ensure the safe and unimpeded movement of humanitarian personnel and cargo.