Five killed in attack on UN food convoy heading to Sudan hunger hot spot, UN says
REUTERS —
An attack on a United Nations food convoy in Sudan overnight killed five people and prevented food deliveries to children and families who face starvation in North Darfur's al-Fashir, UN agencies said on Tuesday.
'Five members of the convoy were killed and several more people were injured. Multiple trucks were burned, and critical humanitarian supplies were damaged,' the UN children's agency and the World Food Programme said in a joint statement.
They did not say who was responsible and called for an urgent investigation into the attack, which they said was a violation of international humanitarian law.
Without fresh supplies soon, hundreds of thousands of people in al-Fashir are at 'high risk of malnutrition and starvation,' the UN joint statement said.
Aid has frequently come under crossfire in the two-year-old war between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, which has left more than half the population facing crisis levels of hunger and driven millions from their homes.
In statements, the RSF and the army blamed each other for the latest attack. The RSF said the army had attacked in an airstrike, while the army said the RSF had torched the truck.
Reuters could not independently verify the contradictory accounts.
The UN joint statement said the route of the 15-truck convoy, which traveled over 1,800 kilometers from Port Sudan, had been shared with the parties in advance. It was negotiating access to complete the journey when it was attacked, it said.
Al Koma is controlled by the RSF, and earlier this week saw a drone strike that claimed several civilian lives, according to local activists.
Famine conditions have previously been reported in al-Fashir, the capital of North Darfur. The fighting and barriers to the delivery of aid put in place by both sides have cut off supplies.
The attack is the latest of several assaults on aid in recent days. It follows the repeated shelling of UN World Food Programme premises in al-Fashir by the RSF and an attack on El Obeid hospital in North Kordofan that killed several medics late last month.
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Mada
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The programme supports the government's strategy to conserve natural gas used in electricity generation and redirect it to high value-added industrial sectors. * A version of this article appears in print in the 5 June, 2025 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
Egypt Today
15 hours ago
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Egypt continues inspection tours of sacrificial animal markets during Eid Al-Adha
File- A boy waits for customers at a cattle market in Al Manashi village, ahead of the Muslim festival of sacrifice Eid al-Adha, in Giza, on the outskirts of Cairo, August 8, 2019. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany CAIRO – June 7, 2025: Inspection committees assigned by Egypt's Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation continued their field visits on Saturday to markets selling sacrificial animals and meat, as part of ongoing efforts to ensure safety and raise public awareness during Eid Al-Adha celebrations. In a statement, the Ministry said that the inspections aim to verify the health of animals being sold for sacrifice and to educate citizens on selecting appropriate livestock. Alaa Farouk, Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation, has been personally monitoring the activities of the committees, which are operated by the Ministry's Animal and Poultry Wealth Development Sector in coordination with the General Authority for Veterinary Services. Minister Farouk stressed the importance of continuous oversight of all animal markets and stalls to guarantee the safety and well-being of sacrificial animals throughout the holiday. He also emphasized the availability of technical guidance to help citizens make informed choices when purchasing animals for sacrifice. The Minister further highlighted the need to reduce random slaughtering in public streets, both to preserve environmental cleanliness and to ensure the safety and quality of the meat. He urged citizens to utilize the nearest government-operated slaughterhouses, which are offering free slaughter services throughout the Eid holiday. These facilities also conduct veterinary checks and visual inspections of livestock before slaughter. On the first day of Eid Al-Adha, a time when hundreds of thousands of Egyptians perform the ritual slaughter of livestock, Cairo Governor Ibrahim Saber issued a warning against slaughtering animals in public streets and leaving behind waste. He confirmed that environmental violation reports would be filed against offenders, with fines reaching up to EGP 10,000 (approximately USD 202) for those who leave animal waste or blood in public areas. The Governor also announced that all government slaughterhouses in Cairo will remain open around the clock during the holiday to accommodate citizens' sacrificial animals free of charge.
