The World Food Programme and UNICEF on Tuesday called for an investigation into an attack on a humanitarian convoy in North Darfur.
In a joint statement received by Sudan Tribune, the two agencies urged “an urgent investigation and accountability for those responsible for the attack on a joint humanitarian convoy near Al-Koumah.”
The statement condemned the attack, which killed five convoy members and injured others, while burning several trucks.
It noted that parties on the ground had been notified and informed of the convoy’s location, which consisted of 15 trucks heading to El Fasher to supply children and families affected by famine with lifesaving food and nutritional supplies.
The statement warned that hundreds of thousands in El Fasher face the risk of malnutrition and hunger if supplies do not arrive swiftly.
The World Food Programme and UNICEF said they were negotiating to complete the convoy’s journey to El Fasher when the convoy was attacked in Al-Koumah, after traveling 1800 kilometers from Port Sudan.
They emphasized that the convoy attack follows a series of assaults on humanitarian operations, including shelling the WFP headquarters in El Fasher, which damaged a workshop, clinic, and offices.
The statement called for the protection of aid convoys under international humanitarian law and for unhindered passage of relief, urging an end to attacks on aid workers, their facilities, and vehicles.
