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UN: Drone strikes in Port Sudan suspend humanitarian flights, displace thousands
Summary
UN officials said drone strikes near Port Sudan and in other states have disrupted UN Humanitarian Air Service flights and displaced people, hampering aid operations.
Stephanie Tremblay, an associate spokesperson for the United Nations, said at the noon briefing that drone strikes in Port Sudan have forced suspension of UN Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) flights to and from Port Sudan since May 4.
"Flights of The U UN Humanitarian Air Service, better known as UNHAS, to and from Port Sudan have been suspended since May 4," Tremblay said, citing the World Food Programme, which manages UNHAS. She added that the suspension is constraining the movement of humanitarian personnel into Sudan and onward to other parts of the country.
Tremblay also said the under‑secretary‑general for humanitarian affairs, Tom Fletcher, expressed "deep concern over the ongoing drone strikes in Port Sudan," noting that Port Sudan is a hub for humanitarian operations and a key entry point for aid. She said OCHA reported strikes in Kassala and River Nile states, and that strikes near an airport in Kassala displaced about 2,900 people and led to temporary suspension or relocation of some aid activities.
Tremblay said a drone strike on a transformer station in Adbara on April 25 left River Nile State facing a power blackout that is contributing to fuel and bread shortages and long queues at petrol stations and bakeries.
The spokesperson did not announce new operational timelines for resuming flights. She said the World Food Programme "will resume air operations as soon as conditions allow," and that the disruptions are further straining delivery of urgently needed assistance.
