Sudan: WFP driver killed in airstrike on food convoy in South Kordofan

A driver was killed in the early morning of October 3, 2026, in an airstrike targeting a World Food Programme (WFP) food convoy in South Kordofan, in central Sudan. The two trucks, under contract with the United Nations agency, were traveling between Dilling and Kadugli on a route connecting two cities held by the Sudanese army.

"Clearly identified as humanitarian vehicles"

The WFP stated that the trucks were "clearly identified" as humanitarian vehicles. The agency "strongly condemns this airstrike" and demands a swift and impartial investigation, accountability, the protection of civilians and infrastructure, as well as the free passage of humanitarian convoys and personnel. It reiterated the obligations of international humanitarian law.

The WFP did not attribute the attack to either party in the conflict. The incident occurred the day after another accident in the same region, where an agency truck had struck an explosive device. The conflict has pitted the Sudanese army against the Rapid Support Forces since April 2023, with both sides increasingly using drones, notes Al Jazeera.

Mass hunger behind the numbers

The humanitarian context is one of the most severe in the world. Between February and May 2026, 19.5 million Sudanese, or 41% of the population, faced acute food insecurity, according to data cited by Al Jazeera. More than 5 million people were in a situation of extreme shortage and 135,000 were at risk of famine.

Under these conditions, every truck blocked or destroyed translates into undistributed rations. South Kordofan, a pivotal region between Khartoum and the southwestern zones, concentrates both shifting front lines and populations entirely dependent on aid.

Humanitarian law put to the test

Attacking an identified convoy is a violation of international humanitarian law, regardless of the perpetrator. Recalling this is not a diplomatic formality: it is the only protection available to Sudanese drivers, often recruited locally, who take to the road without weapons or escorts to feed their compatriots.

Two and a half years after the start of this war, Sudan remains the deadliest crisis on the continent and one of the least funded. The WFP's demand—an investigation and accountability—now awaits a response from the belligerents and the states that support them.