Amid escalating violence in Sudan, UN Secretary-General António Guterres has called for “serious peace negotiations” to end a brutal conflict that has raged for more than two years, leaving the country teetering on the edge of collapse.
The warning follows a series of drone strikes on critical infrastructure in Port Sudan, a city that has become a lifeline for aid and a shelter for hundreds of thousands displaced by war.
Guterres described the latest attacks as “alarming”, emphasizing that they threaten an area that has long provided refuge to people fleeing the fighting. “The expansion of the conflict into an area that has served as a place of refuge for a large number of displaced people is alarming,” he said through a statement from his spokesperson’s office. He cautioned that continued escalation could result in “massive civilian casualties” and a worsening humanitarian disaster.
Port Sudan, a city with direct access to the Red Sea and functioning airports, is now under threat after multiple drone assaults. The attacks have halted the operations of the UN Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) since May 4, as insecurity in the region spikes. The UN World Food Programme (WFP), which manages UNHAS flights, confirmed that flights would resume only when safe conditions return.
But the violence is not confined to Port Sudan. Drone strikes have also been recorded in Kassala and the River Nile states. In Kassala, explosions near the airport displaced nearly 2,900 people and disrupted aid services. In River Nile State, a drone strike on April 25 crippled a transformer station in Atbara, leading to a prolonged blackout. This has worsened fuel and bread shortages, with long lines forming outside bakeries and petrol stations.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has warned that critical infrastructure attacks since January have left millions without clean water, electricity, healthcare, or basic food supplies. In response, Guterres has reiterated the need for warring parties to honor their responsibilities under international humanitarian law.
“All parties to the conflict must comply with their obligations. They must not direct attacks against civilians and civilian objects… and must allow and facilitate rapid and unimpeded passage of humanitarian relief.”
UN Secretary-General António Guterres
Sudan’s descent into war began after the collapse of efforts to transition to civilian governance following the 2019 ousting of long-time ruler Omar al-Bashir. Since then, military factions have vied for control, ignoring international calls for dialogue. Guterres lamented the “lack of political will” by both sides to pursue peaceful solutions. “Dialogue is the only way to achieve the peace that the people of Sudan demand,” he said.
Humanitarian Crisis Worsens
According to UN figures, more than 18,800 civilians have been killed and tens of thousands wounded in the conflict. Humanitarian agencies describe Sudan as facing the “largest hunger catastrophe on the planet.” Over 30 million people — more than half of the population — need urgent humanitarian aid. Among them are 15 million children who lack access to basic necessities such as food, shelter, healthcare, and education.
WFP spokesperson Leni Kinzli underscored the scale of the crisis.
“Across Sudan, 25 million people face acute hunger. And people are displaced across the country, nearly 13 million people forced from their homes. We are seeing waves of displacement in North Darfur, where around 450,000 people have fled horrific levels of violence.”
Leni Kinzli
Despite the challenges, aid agencies are striving to deliver help. “We’ve distributed assistance food assistance and emergency food packages to 335,000 people who recently fled that violence in and around El Fasher,” Kinzli reported. The WFP also aims to reach one million people in Khartoum within the next month.
Current food distributions are taking place in high-risk famine zones such as Jabalia in South Khartoum and Burri in central Khartoum. “We finally reached the centre of the city… just last week,” said Kinzli.
But aid efforts are critically underfunded. The UN needs $4.2 billion to assist 21 million Sudanese in 2024, yet only seven per cent of that target has been secured. For the next six months alone, WFP requires $700 million to sustain and scale up its operations.
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