UN humanitarian personnel called for an end to the “brutal” conflict in Sudan on Wednesday as drone strikes between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) increased. The UN urged an immediate cessation of hostilities and all measures to protect civilians and infrastructure in accordance with international humanitarian law.

Echoing previous UN calls for an end to the conflict, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan Clementine Nkweta-Salami expressed concerns over the safety of civilians. Nkweta-Salami noted that damage to critical infrastructure, including ports, power plants, and water stations, is exacerbating the humanitarian crisis, driving up commodity prices, and making it harder to deliver aid. She emphasized that drone attacks, especially, are leading to population displacement and the temporary suspension of humanitarian action in various regions of Sudan.

Nkweta-Salami noted that such violations constitute grave breaches of international humanitarian law, demonstrating a persistent disregard for its principles. She emphasized: “Every measure must be taken to spare civilians and civilian objects.”

The conflict in Sudan, which began with fighting in April 2023 in the Sudanese capital of Khartoum between the SAF and RSF, has now spread to other regions of Sudan and led to widespread violence and displacement, and one of the world’s worst humanitarian and human rights crises yet seen.

Port Sudan, located on the Red Sea coast, has been under drone attacks attributed to the RSF since Sunday. Explosions and fires in fuel depots have caused a critical situation as the city is an entry point into the country, an important humanitarian aid point, and a shelter for thousands of refugees.

International humanitarian law, a set of rules established to mitigate the impact of armed conflicts, requires all parties in an armed conflict to distinguish between civilians and combatants. It strictly prohibits direct attacks on civilians and civilian objects, and it obliges the conflicting parties to facilitate the rapid and unhindered delivery of impartial humanitarian assistance to those in need.