Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces launched coordinated drone strikes on five power stations across three eastern states on October 30, causing widespread blackouts in territory controlled by the Sudanese army, according to a government official speaking on condition of anonymity.
The RSF targeted two power stations each in Al-Jazira and Gedaref states and one in White Nile state. The attacks cut electricity across large parts of all three states. The three states are under army control. Sudan's army and the RSF, former allies, have been at war since April 2023.
The power cuts have immediate health consequences. Babiker Youssef, a resident of Al-Fao in Gedaref, said his diabetic son requires refrigerated insulin. "My son is diabetic, his insulin has to be stored in the fridge," Youssef said by phone. He expressed concern about replacing spoiled medication if power does not return soon. Past paramilitary drone strikes on power infrastructure have caused electricity cuts lasting days.
The strikes damage an already fractured civilian economy. Abdelhafez Daafallah, a 54-year-old farmer in Al-Junaid town in Al-Jazira, said his recently repaired irrigation pumps cannot operate without power. "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," he said. Farmers in Al-Jazira have been unable to work their land for nearly four years. Ibrahim Mohammed, a 37-year-old grocer in Gedaref, said he risks losing perishable stock to spoilage. "Now I have chicken in the fridge, we either lose our entire stock, or will be forced to sell it off at any price, which is still a loss," he said.
The United Nations has repeatedly warned that attacks on power stations threaten health services and water supplies for millions facing what it calls the world's largest hunger crisis. Sudan's war is primarily conducted through drone strikes by both sides. In the first three weeks of October alone, drone strikes killed more than 300 people and injured hundreds more, according to UN tallies. The conflict has killed more than 200,000 people, aid workers estimate. Most of Sudan's hospitals have closed, at least 8 million children are out of school, and large portions of the country lack basic services. Sudan is also experiencing unprecedented inflation, with its currency losing more than 25 percent of its value in recent weeks.