At least 24 displaced civilians, among them eight children, were killed after a drone attack struck a vehicle carrying families fleeing conflict in central Sudan, according to the Sudan Doctors Network.
The attack, which took place on Saturday near the city of Rahad in North Kordofan state, was attributed to the Rapid Support Forces. The medical group said the passengers had escaped fighting in the Dubeiker area and were attempting to reach safety when the strike occurred.
Among those killed were two infants, the network said in a statement published on X.
Series of Attacks on Aid Routes
The incident followed a string of drone attacks targeting humanitarian convoys and fuel trucks across North Kordofan. On Friday, similar strikes killed at least one person and injured several others.
The North Kordofan state government condemned Friday’s attack on a convoy linked to the World Food Programme, calling on the international community and United Nations bodies to impose sanctions on RSF leaders.
The attacks occurred along a strategic route connecting el-Obeid, the state capital, with Kosti in neighbouring White Nile state.
Escalating Violence in Kordofan
Clashes between the government-aligned Sudanese Armed Forces and the RSF have intensified across the Kordofan region since October 2025, following the fall of el-Fasher to RSF forces. The United Nations has previously described atrocities committed there as turning the area into a “crime scene”.
According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the first drone strike on Saturday hit three trucks in Er-Rahad at dawn.
A second attack in the Allah Kareem area near Es Samih damaged four vehicles, including trucks carrying UN relief supplies. In Um Rawaba, three drones struck a transport truck and a fuel tanker, causing further civilian casualties. The WFP has not yet issued an official statement.
Calls for Accountability
The Sudan Doctors Network said the convoy targeted on Saturday was delivering assistance to displaced communities in el-Obeid when it was attacked, describing the incident as a “clear violation of international humanitarian law” and a war crime.
The group called for an independent investigation and stronger international action to protect humanitarian workers, civilians and critical infrastructure.
International Condemnation
Washington also condemned the attack. Massad Boulos, the US Senior Advisor for Arab and African Affairs, said the United States denounced the drone strike on a WFP convoy transporting food to famine-affected communities.
“Destroying food meant for people in need and killing humanitarian workers is sickening,” Boulos wrote on X, adding that the Trump administration demanded accountability and extended condolences to the victims.
Deepening Humanitarian Crisis
UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator Denise Brown said the trucks were travelling from Kosti to deliver life-saving food to displaced families near el-Obeid when they were struck.
She noted that the attack followed another drone strike earlier in the week on a WFP-linked facility in Yabus, Blue Nile state, which injured a staff member.
Sudan’s brutal conflict, now nearing its third year, has killed tens of thousands, displaced nearly 11 million people and pushed several regions into famine. UN estimates suggest more than 21 million Sudanese face acute food shortages, with roughly two-thirds of the population in urgent need of humanitarian assistance. Tens of thousands have fled to neighbouring Chad.