Following drone attacks by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on key power infrastructure, most army-controlled areas in Sudan have been plunged into blackouts. These outages began after the Merowe Dam, Sudan’s largest power generation facility, was targeted, affecting the northern state. A separate technical issue also disrupted power supply in the River Nile and Red Sea states. The blackouts spread further after an overnight attack on the al-Shouk power station in the east of Sudan, which left the states of Gedaref, Kassala, and Sennar without power. These areas are primarily controlled by the army, which has been embroiled in a nearly two-year-long conflict with the RSF, which controls much of the western half of Sudan.

The power outages are severely impacting millions of internally displaced people who are living in the affected regions, further straining already limited resources and infrastructure. The blackout has disrupted essential services such as hospitals, schools, and water supply facilities, which is particularly dangerous in an already dire humanitarian situation. Human rights organizations, including Emergency Lawyers, have warned that these attacks violate the basic rights of civilians and significantly increase the risks of further violence.

The ongoing war in Sudan has displaced over 12 million people, with nearly half of the population, about 24.6 million people, urgently needing food aid, according to the Global Hunger Monitor. In areas like Omdurman, part of the greater Khartoum region, residents reported bakeries being shut down and turning to the Nile River for water as a result of the power outages. Efforts are being made by engineers to restore operations at the Merowe power station, but as of now, these efforts have yet to succeed.
Leave a comment