The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has expressed deep concern about the impact of reported drone attacks on civilians and critical civilian infrastructure in northern, eastern and central Sudan.
Farhan Haq, the deputy spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, expressed the sentiments in a press release on Wednesday.
Haq recounted an attack on Wednesday, reportedly targeting the um Dabakir power station around Kosti, south of Khartoum, which followed another reported strike on a power station in Northern State earlier this week, which disrupted electricity and water supplies to the capital Dongola and the surrounding areas.
“Attacks were also reported over the weekend. This included an attack on a hydroelectric facility at the Girba Dam in Kassala state on January 18th, which knocked out power to hospitals and healthcare facilities, as well as drone attacks that same day on power stations in Gedaref and Sennar states,” he said.
A week ago, a reported attack on the Merowe Dam, which is the largest dam in Sudan, severely disrupted water and electricity in Khartoum, Northern and River Nile states.
OCHA said that major cuts to water and power risked depriving people of access to critical health services and safe water supplies.
The UN has stressed that under international humanitarian law, the warring parties have a clear obligation not to attack objects indispensable to the survival of the civilian population
“They must also take all feasible precautions to avoid and minimize incidental civilian harm.”