UN delivers Darfur aid as drone activity hampers northern access

May 7, 2026 (NEW YORK) – The United Nations said on Thursday it has delivered critical aid to thousands in Darfur despite escalating insecurity and drone activity that continue to hamper humanitarian corridors in the region.

UNICEF delivered health, nutrition, and sanitation supplies to Um Baru in North Darfur on Tuesday, a shipment expected to benefit more than 15,000 people. Recent assessments in the locality indicate malnutrition rates have surpassed emergency thresholds.

“Access along the northern corridor of the state remains constrained by insecurity and continued drone activity, limiting the ability to reach people in urgent need,” UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told reporters.

In West Darfur, the UN and its partners provided food assistance to approximately 15,000 families in the Kulbus locality over the past few weeks. Dujarric noted that ongoing intercommunal clashes and violence across Darfur continue to displace civilians and disrupt essential services.

The United Nations called on all warring parties to protect civilian infrastructure and adhere to international humanitarian law.

Separately, the Security Council was briefed on the situation in the disputed Abyei region between Sudan and South Sudan.

Martha Pobee, Assistant Secretary-General for Africa, reported that the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) is conducting robust patrols and mine action operations to maintain the area’s demilitarized status.

Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa, Guang Cong, told the Council via video link that his office is engaging with stakeholders to prepare for renewed bilateral talks, urging progress on benchmarks ahead of the mission’s mandate renewal.