An aerial attack has destroyed two trucks carrying food assistance from the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) in Sudan’s South Kordofan state, disrupting the delivery of urgently needed supplies to thousands of people facing severe hunger.
The attack occurred on August 30, 2026, outside the city of Dilling, as the two trucks travelled towards Kadugli, the capital of South Kordofan. The WFP announced the incident on Wednesday, September 2, and strongly condemned the attack.
According to the UN agency, the trucks were clearly marked with WFP banners and flags when they came under aerial attack. The strike destroyed more than 50 metric tonnes of food, including cereals, yellow split peas, vegetable oil and salt. The supplies were enough to provide life-saving food assistance to approximately 5,800 people for one month.
The WFP did not identify who carried out the attack.
The destruction of the supplies comes at a particularly difficult time for communities in South Kordofan, where years of conflict have left large numbers of people struggling to obtain enough food.
Kadugli, where the destroyed supplies were supposed to be delivered, is one of the areas experiencing serious food insecurity. The WFP said it is currently supporting nearly 58,000 people in Kadugli who are facing emergency levels of food insecurity or worse.
The loss of the food shipment could therefore have serious consequences for families already depending on humanitarian assistance to survive.
The incident is part of a wider pattern of growing risks faced by humanitarian organisations operating in Sudan.
The country has been engulfed in war since April 2023, when fighting broke out between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The conflict has devastated communities, destroyed infrastructure and severely disrupted food production and humanitarian supply routes.
As the fighting continues, aid organisations have struggled to reach people trapped in areas affected by violence.
The WFP said the latest attack highlights the increasingly dangerous environment in which humanitarian workers are operating. Since the beginning of 2026, the organisation has recorded eight aerial attacks that have damaged its premises or disrupted its operations in Sudan.
The repeated attacks have made it harder for humanitarian agencies to deliver food and other essential supplies to vulnerable communities.
The WFP called on all parties involved in the conflict to respect international humanitarian law and protect civilians, humanitarian workers and humanitarian assets.
The organisation stressed that attacks against humanitarian operations are unacceptable and must stop.
The destruction of the food trucks also raises concerns about the broader humanitarian situation in South Kordofan.
The region has been heavily affected by fighting and restricted humanitarian access. Communities facing food shortages may have limited alternatives when relief supplies fail to arrive.
For people already struggling with hunger, the loss of a single food shipment can have a major impact, particularly when replacement supplies cannot be delivered quickly.
Humanitarian organisations have repeatedly warned that Sudan remains one of the world’s most serious humanitarian emergencies.
Millions of Sudanese people require humanitarian assistance as the conflict continues. Large-scale displacement has forced families to leave their homes, while damage to farms, markets and transport routes has made it increasingly difficult for communities to obtain food.
The conflict has also made humanitarian access increasingly complicated. Aid convoys must navigate areas where fighting, airstrikes and insecurity can threaten both workers and supplies.
The WFP has continued its operations despite these challenges, attempting to provide food assistance to people facing extreme hunger.
However, the attack outside Dilling demonstrates the risks involved in transporting supplies through conflict-affected areas.
The agency has called for safe and unhindered humanitarian access so that food can reach people who desperately need it.
The attack also comes amid continuing reports of intensified drone and aerial warfare across Sudan. Both sides of the conflict have increasingly used drones and other air capabilities, creating additional dangers for civilians and humanitarian operations.
While the responsibility for the Dilling attack remains unclear, the WFP’s condemnation reflects growing concern about the safety of humanitarian assets in the country.
The international community has repeatedly urged Sudan’s warring parties to stop attacks on civilians and work towards an end to the conflict.
But fighting has continued in several parts of the country, leaving humanitarian organisations with the difficult task of providing assistance while operating in extremely dangerous conditions.
For the 5,800 people who were expected to benefit from the destroyed food supplies, the immediate concern is how and when replacement assistance will arrive.
The WFP’s work in Kadugli and other parts of South Kordofan is therefore likely to remain critical as food insecurity worsens and humanitarian access remains restricted.
The destruction of the two trucks is a reminder of how the war is affecting not only civilians directly caught in the fighting but also the humanitarian systems designed to help them.
As the conflict continues, humanitarian organisations are calling for greater protection of aid workers and supplies and for all parties to allow food and other essential assistance to reach vulnerable communities.
For now, the WFP is urging all sides to respect international humanitarian law and ensure that humanitarian operations can continue without being targeted.
