By J. Nastranis
NEW YORK | 4 June 2025 (IDN) — A United Nations humanitarian convoy en route to the famine-stricken city of El Fasher in North Darfur has been attacked and destroyed in the town of Al Koma, currently under the control of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The assault left five people dead and several injured.
According to a UN statement, the 15-truck convoy, jointly operated by the World Food Programme (WFP) and UNICEF, had travelled over 1,800 kilometres from Port Sudan. It was carrying vital food supplies intended for civilians trapped in El Fasher, the last major Darfur city not under RSF control and now enduring a deepening siege.
“Multiple trucks were burned and essential humanitarian supplies were damaged,” the UN confirmed, adding that the convoy’s route had been communicated in advance to all armed actors in the region.
Photos from the scene showed scorched vehicles alongside scattered sacks of sorghum and bottles of sunflower oil.
Responsibility for the attack remains disputed. The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) accused the RSF of deliberately targeting the trucks, while the RSF claimed SAF airstrikes caused the destruction. SAF stated that the convoy had been detained in Al Koma before the incident, describing it as “a continuation of repeated attacks on humanitarian aid in Darfur.”
The RSF issued a counterstatement condemning the strike “in the strongest terms,” and alleged that Sudanese military aircraft were responsible.
UN agencies denounced the attack as a violation of international humanitarian law and called for an immediate investigation and accountability for those responsible.
“This convoy was delivering life-saving food to children and families in famine-affected areas. We demand an end to attacks on humanitarian personnel, assets, and vehicles,” the UN stated.
Crisis Deepens in El Fasher
The humanitarian crisis in El Fasher is growing increasingly dire. A volunteer working in a local community kitchen told Avaaz last week that regular supply routes have collapsed, with only a handful of donkeys managing to bring in goods each day.
“For the entire city, we now rely on fewer than ten donkeys a day to deliver supplies,” the volunteer said. “Even they face interrogation at RSF checkpoints. If the situation continues, we may be eating tree leaves within two weeks.”
On 3 June, sources confirmed that the last operational market in El Fasher, located in the Abu Shouk displacement camp, had shut down due to a lack of goods.
Civilian Deaths from Airstrike in Al Koma
The convoy attack followed an airstrike a day earlier on a crowded civilian market in Al Koma, reportedly by SAF aircraft. At least 41 civilians were killed or wounded, according to Emergency Lawyers, a human rights group monitoring the conflict.
While RSF vehicles were present in the market at the time, the group condemned the airstrike as “disproportionate” and lacking in necessary precautions to protect civilians, both violations of international humanitarian law.
The group also criticised the RSF for placing military assets within civilian areas, which they said further endangered non-combatants and eroded protections under the laws of war.
Since March 2024, Al Koma has endured repeated aerial attacks. Human rights monitors report hundreds of civilian casualties, alongside the destruction of essential infrastructure, including health facilities, water stations, and markets. [IDN-InDepthNews]
*This report is based on the weekly Sudan Dispatch by Avaaz.org. For further information or interviews with witnesses and humanitarian experts on the ground, contact Avaaz at +44 7514 796 678 orsudan@avaaz.org.
Image: An image posted by the RSF, which controls the area, shows the aftermath of the attack.
