The Red Cross expressed concern on Thursday regarding the increasing use of drone strikes by combatants targeting hospitals, as well as electricity and water infrastructure in Sudan, which it claims is exacerbating widespread human rights abuses.
According to the International Committee of the Red Cross, approximately 70-80% of hospitals in Sudan are non-operational, raising fears of a potential cholera outbreak due to the war’s destruction of water systems. This information was shared with reporters in Geneva.
“A recent drone strike resulted in a complete power outage in an area near Khartoum, indicating significant damage to essential infrastructure,” stated Patrick Youssef, the Red Cross’s Regional Director for Africa, in a recent report.
“There is a noticeable rise in the use of drone technology, which is becoming accessible to many, thereby amplifying the impact on local communities and intensifying the attacks,” Youssef added.
Following two years of conflict between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, some individuals are beginning to return to Khartoum after being displaced when hostilities erupted on April 15, 2023, amid an ongoing power struggle between the army and the RSF in the lead-up to a transition to civilian governance.
Since the onset of the conflict in 2023, around 12 million people have been displaced.
“We have observed violations of the law occurring frequently,” Youssef remarked, calling on the warring factions to permit the Red Cross to access affected areas to provide humanitarian assistance and document the atrocities.
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In March, aid organizations informed Reuters that the RSF had imposed new restrictions on aid deliveries in regions where it aimed to strengthen its control. Additionally, aid groups have accused the army of obstructing access to areas controlled by the RSF.
Both parties involved in the conflict deny hindering humanitarian aid.
