Sudan’s devastating war has taken another deadly turn, with drone strikes killing at least 21 people in the western Darfur region and plunging millions into darkness as attacks on critical electricity infrastructure disrupt power supplies across several parts of the country.
The latest violence underscores the growing toll of the conflict between Sudan’s military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, with civilians increasingly exposed to deadly aerial attacks and essential services pushed to the brink.
In Nyala, the de facto capital of the RSF-controlled territory in Darfur, a drone strike hit a market on Monday evening, killing 21 people and injuring at least 40 others, according to medical sources and witnesses.
Residents said the attack occurred at about 8 p.m. local time in a market in the northern part of the city, a location reportedly frequented by young men, including RSF fighters.
A medic at Nyala Hospital confirmed the casualty figures but could not establish how many of the victims were combatants.
Sudan’s military has repeatedly targeted Nyala, where the RSF has established a rival administration challenging the army-backed government internationally recognised as Sudan’s authority.
In retaliation, the RSF has carried out repeated drone attacks on strategic infrastructure, including Khartoum’s airport, dams and power stations across eastern Sudan.
On Tuesday, a drone strike attributed to the RSF hit the Al-Markhiyat transformer station, disrupting electricity supplies across large parts of Khartoum and Al-Jazira states, according to a source at the national electricity company.
The attack followed a coordinated drone assault on six power stations a day earlier, which reportedly left millions without electricity across Al-Jazira, White Nile, Sennar and Gedaref states.
The widening attacks on power infrastructure have raised fresh concerns about the impact on hospitals, water supplies and other essential services already strained by years of conflict.
DRONE WAR DEEPENS HUMANITARIAN CRISIS
Drones have become a major weapon in the war, with both sides launching increasingly sophisticated attacks across Sudan. The strikes have caused mounting civilian casualties and inflicted widespread damage on critical infrastructure.
According to United Nations figures cited in reports on the conflict, more than 300 people were killed and hundreds injured in drone strikes during the first three weeks of October alone.
Since fighting erupted in April 2023, the conflict has triggered one of the world’s gravest humanitarian emergencies, killing tens of thousands of people, displacing millions and leaving large sections of the population facing hunger and severe deprivation.
The United Nations has repeatedly warned that attacks on electricity facilities threaten vital services for millions of people, particularly where hospitals and water systems depend on a reliable power supply.
In Khartoum, the consequences of the war remain stark. Although nearly three million people have returned to the state since the military recaptured the capital last year, many face enormous challenges rebuilding their lives.
Electricity and water supplies remain unreliable, unexploded ordnance continues to pose a threat, and economic collapse has left many households struggling to afford basic necessities.
FAMINE FEARS MOUNT
The worsening security situation comes amid renewed international warnings over the risk of famine spreading across Sudan.
On Monday, 30 countries, including the United States, France and the United Kingdom, called for urgent action to prevent further deterioration in food security.
They cited the continuing conflict, a rapidly weakening currency, rising fuel costs linked to the war in the Middle East and drought associated with the El Niño climate phenomenon as factors intensifying pressure on vulnerable communities.
Sudan’s Foreign Ministry, however, rejected claims that the country’s food security situation was deteriorating to the extent described, maintaining that conditions remained reassuring and accusing some countries and organisations of politicising the humanitarian crisis.
The Sudanese military has also repeatedly disputed reports of famine, while humanitarian organisations have raised concerns about obstacles to delivering aid to people in need.
With drone attacks spreading across battle zones and critical infrastructure increasingly under threat, fears are growing that the conflict could further undermine access to food, electricity, clean water and medical care.
For millions of Sudanese already struggling to survive, the latest escalation brings fresh uncertainty as the war continues with no clear end in sight.
