UN oficial condemns attacks on Sudanese civilians, aid infrastructure
June 2, 2025 (PORT SUDAN) – A senior United Nations official on Saturday condemned a recent surge in attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure in Sudan, calling them “blatant violations of international humanitarian law.”
Kristine Hambrouck, the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator a.i. in Sudan, expressed alarm over incidents including a deadly drone strike on a hospital and shelling of a World Food Programme (WFP) compound.
“I am alarmed by the recent wave of attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure in Sudan, which represent a blatant violation of international humanitarian law,” Hambrouck said in a statement.
She cited a May 30 drone attack on Eldaman International Hospital in Al Obeid, capital of North Kordofan state, which reportedly killed at least six health workers and injured more than 15.
“Patients and medical personnel were caught in the line of fire inside a facility dedicated to healing and hope. Hospitals are not battlegrounds — they are protected under international law and must be respected as such,” Hambrouck stated.
Just a day earlier, on May 29, the WFP’s premises in Al Fasher, the capital of North Darfur state, suffered repeated shelling, causing significant damage to what Hambrouck described as “a key humanitarian hub.”
Both attacks were reportedly carried out by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), she noted.
Hambrouck underscored the critical role these facilities play in a worsening humanitarian crisis. “Attacking humanitarian assets puts millions at risk, depriving them of the critical aid they rely on to survive,” she said.
“These attacks must stop immediately,” Hambrouck urged, calling on all parties to the conflict to uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law and ensure the protection of civilians and civilian objects.
She added that humanitarian personnel and facilities “must never be targeted” and those responsible for such attacks “must be held accountable.”