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World Food Programme convoy attacked in Sudan
An airstrike hit two trucks, causing further deaths and injuries among civilians in South Kordofan. However, there are signs of movement on the diplomatic front with the US envoy’s mission in Egypt.
By Davide Dionisi and Kielce Gussie
On the evening of October 5, the United Nations spokesperson Farhan Haq announced the latest tragedy in Sudan while speaking to journalists: “An airstrike in South Kordofan targeting two trucks belonging to the World Food Programme (WFP) killed a driver and damaged food supplies. In a second incident, a child was killed and twelve others were injured: five boys and seven girls.”
In a statement, the WFP stressed that the two trucks were clearly marked and the attack comes just one day after another WFP truck hit an explosive device after delivering food aid in Dilling.
Furthermore, the statement explained how these attacks show “the increasingly challenging security environment in Sudan and the risks that aid workers face when delivering life-saving assistance to communities in need.” Despite the risks, the UN organization stressed its commitment to providing support and aid to those in need.
FILE PHOTO: WFP in-kind food assistance in Omdurman, Greater Khartoum area
In 2025, the UN aid coordination office OCHA reported more than 30 million people are in need of humantiarian assistance.
The war tearing Sudan apart
The Sudanese army has been fighting the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) since April 2023, following disagreements between the two sides over issues such as the integration of their respective forces as part of the transition towards civilian government. Last month, the US State Department said that neither the Sudanese Armed Forces nor the RSF, nor their respective leaders, “represent a legitimate and constitutional government for Sudan.”
The conflict has forced more than 14 million people to flee their homes and has triggered waves of ethnically motivated killings. According to the United Nations, more than seven million people, particularly in Darfur, are living in conditions of food insecurity.
The path of diplomacy
After months of deadlock, the US is seeking to revive diplomatic efforts to find a solution to the conflict.
“We reaffirm the United States’ steadfast commitment, together with our Egyptian partners and other regional and international allies, to promoting a political solution to the crisis,” said Massad Boulos, the US Senior Adviser for Arab and African Affairs, in a post on X. He said he had attended a luncheon hosted by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, head of the Sudanese army.
The Egyptian president stressed that “Egypt will continue to make every possible effort, at the regional and international levels, to promote a political solution to the crisis, help bring the war to an end, and alleviate the humanitarian suffering of the Sudanese people.” He added that this “will enable Sudan to restore security and stability and embark on reconstruction.”
President Al-Sisi also reaffirmed to General Burhan his country’s “unwavering support” for the “brotherly Sudanese people” and its commitment to preserving Sudan’s unity, sovereignty, territorial integrity, and national institutions, including the regular army.
The meeting in Egypt came less than two weeks after Washington denied the Sudanese army chief a visa to attend a planned address to the United Nations General Assembly. According to Sudanese sources, the move was reportedly linked to a US-backed ceasefire proposal, which Khartoum has so far resisted.
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