Sudan’s worsening conflict has dealt another blow to essential services after drone strikes attributed to the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) hit five power stations, triggering widespread electricity outages across three army-controlled states.
The coordinated attacks on Monday targeted two power stations each in Al-Jazira and Gedaref states and another in White Nile state, leaving large areas without electricity, a government official told AFP on condition of anonymity.
The outages have heightened concerns over the impact of the conflict on households, healthcare and agricultural production in a country already grappling with severe hunger, economic instability and the collapse of basic services.
In Al-Fao, a town in Gedaref State, resident Babiker Youssef said the electricity supply had been interrupted since 2am, leaving him worried about preserving insulin for his diabetic son.
“My son is diabetic, his insulin has to be stored in the fridge,” he told AFP by telephone, expressing fears that spoiled medication would be difficult to replace.
“We have no idea when the power will come back,” he added.
Farmers and traders are also facing mounting losses as the outages threaten irrigation, food storage and commercial activities. In Al-Junaid, Al-Jazira State, farmer Abdelhafez Daafallah said the latest strike had dashed hopes of returning to cultivation after months of disruption.
“The electricity had just started to improve three months ago, the power station the militia had destroyed was just repaired and we had hope our irrigation pumps would finally start running again,” the 54-year-old said.
He added that the renewed damage had undermined efforts to resume farming after nearly four years of being unable to cultivate his land.
In Gedaref, grocer Ibrahim Mohammed said he was already experiencing prolonged power interruptions before Monday’s attack. He warned that the loss of electricity could force him to sell refrigerated chicken at a discount or lose his stock entirely.
The latest strikes reflect the growing reliance on drone warfare by both sides in Sudan’s conflict, which erupted in April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the RSF, former allies who turned against each other.
The United Nations has repeatedly warned that attacks on electricity infrastructure threaten essential services for millions of people. Previous strikes on power stations and hydroelectric dams have left some communities without electricity for days at a time.
According to a UN tally, drone strikes killed more than 300 people and injured hundreds more during the first three weeks of October alone.
The conflict has devastated the country, home to an estimated 50 million people, with aid workers estimating that more than 200,000 people have been killed. Nearly 20 million people are facing extreme hunger, while most hospitals have been forced to close and at least eight million children are out of school.
The power crisis is compounding these humanitarian challenges by threatening the operation of remaining health facilities, food preservation and access to other essential services.
Sudan is also battling unprecedented inflation and a rapidly weakening currency, which has lost more than 25 per cent of its value in recent weeks.
With repeated attacks disrupting electricity infrastructure, residents and farmers face further uncertainty over when reliable power will return and whether economic activities can recover in areas already battered by years of fighting.
