NEW YORK: A drone attack struck trucks transporting food aid for displaced families in Sudan’s North Kordofan state on Friday, killing at least one person and injuring several others, the United Nations said.

The trucks, contracted by the World Food Programme were travelling from Kosti to deliver food to starved, displaced people near the state capital, El Obeid, when they were hit, according to a statement by the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan, Denise Brown.

The attack caused the vehicles to catch fire, destroying food supplies intended for humanitarian response, Brown said.

She said she encountered the aftermath of the strike a few hours later while leaving El Obeid.

“This follows another drone strike earlier this week near a WFP facility in Yabus, Blue Nile State, in which a staff member was injured,” Brown said, adding to concerns over the safety of humanitarian operations in the country.

Humanitarian personnel, assets and supplies must be protected at all times, she said, warning that attacks on aid operations undermine efforts to reach people facing acute hunger and displacement.

Sudan has been gripped by conflict since April 2023, displacing millions and pushing large parts of the population toward famine. Aid agencies say insecurity and attacks on humanitarian convoys continue to severely restrict access to vulnerable communities.

Brown stressed that safe and unimpeded humanitarian access remains critical to ensure assistance reaches those most in need across Sudan.