UN condemns attacks on Port Sudan airport

The UN humanitarian affairs office on Tuesday condemned reported drone attacks on Port Sudan International Airport, saying the strikes violate international humanitarian law and severely undermine aid operations for the country.

"Sudan airport is a lifeline for humanitarian operations, serving as the primary entry point for aid, personnel, medical supplies and other life-saving relief that is coming into Sudan," Jens Laerke, spokesperson for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, told a UN briefing in Geneva.

"Such attacks further increase the already severe access and logistical challenges facing humanitarian actors across the country, and these attacks are in violation of international humanitarian law," Laerke said.

He added that the humanitarian affairs office also has unconfirmed reports indicating that other pieces of critical infrastructure are being targeted in Port Sudan.

Electricity outage in Port Sudan

"Yesterday, because of the attacks on the airport, the humanitarian air service that we depend on for moving people and supplies around was put on hold," Laerke said. "I cannot imagine that it's up and running right now when we see renewed attacks on the airport."

Sudanese authorities reported an electricity outage in Port Sudan earlier on Tuesday following a drone strike on the main power plant in the city, the country’s main gateway for trade.

No group claimed responsibility, but the Sudanese government accused the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces of carrying out the attack.

Explosions were heard throughout the city after strikes reportedly targeted multiple sites, including the airport and seaport.

Deadly war

Port Sudan, located on the Red Sea, has served as Sudan’s temporary administrative capital and de facto seat of the Sudanese government following the outbreak of clashes with the Rapid Support Forces since April 2023.

On Sunday, Sudanese authorities accused the Rapid Support Forces of striking the eastern cities of Port Sudan and Kassala with combat drones, prompting widespread condemnation from Arab nations.

In recent weeks, drone strikes have increasingly targeted power stations in northern cities such as Merowe, Dongola, Al Dabbah, and Atbara, with the Sudanese government blaming the rebel faction for the attacks.

Since April 2023, the Rapid Support Forces has been battling the army for control of Sudan, resulting in thousands of deaths and creating one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.

The conflict has killed more than 20,000 people and displaced 15 million, according to UN estimates and local authorities. Independent research from US-based scholars places the death toll closer to 130,000.