UN rights chief visits Sudan dam after drone strikes

January 17, 2026 (MEROWE) – U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk on Saturday inspected the Merowe Dam power plant in northern Sudan following repeated drone attacks by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) that have crippled the country’s energy supply.

The dam and its hydroelectric station have been frequent targets of strikes, causing extensive damage to infrastructure and worsening an energy crisis that has hampered hospitals, water stations, and agricultural production across several states.

The Media Coordination Council of the Sudan Electricity Company said in a statement that Türk and an accompanying delegation conducted the field visit to observe the impact of the attacks on the country’s largest power production facility.

Plant management briefed the High Commissioner on the scale of the destruction, alleging that the strikes were a deliberate attempt to paralyze essential services and the development sector.

Türk expressed “deep regret” over the targeting of civilian infrastructure, according to the statement. He noted that the destruction of vital utilities has a “tragic impact” on civilians’ lives and the stability of basic services.

The Merowe Dam is Sudan’s largest hydroelectric project. With a capacity of approximately 1,250 megawatts, it provides electricity for an estimated 10 million people.