Since May 3, 2025, Port Sudan, Sudan’s main Red Sea port, has faced near-daily drone strikes, with attacks reported on at least five consecutive days.
The strikes, attributed to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Sudan’s civil war against the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), have targeted military installations and humanitarian aid hubs, killing 12 civilians and injuring 45, per UN reports. Port Sudan, hosting 1.2 million displaced people, is critical for 80% of Sudan’s trade, making it a strategic flashpoint in the conflict that began in April 2023.
The RSF, controlling 60% of Sudan’s territory, uses Turkish-made Bayraktar TB2 drones, acquired via regional allies, to disrupt SAF operations. The SAF, backed by Egypt, has responded with airstrikes, escalating violence that displaced 500,000 in Port Sudan since 2024. The strikes damaged 30% of the port’s infrastructure, delaying 50,000 tons of food aid, critical as 25 million Sudanese face acute hunger. The UN Security Council called for a ceasefire on May 7, but both sides rejected mediation, with the RSF demanding SAF’s withdrawal from Port Sudan.
The war, rooted in power struggles between SAF’s Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and RSF’s Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, has killed 24,000 and triggered the world’s largest displacement crisis, with 11 million uprooted. Port Sudan’s hospitals, operating at 20% capacity, struggle to treat victims, with 70% of medical supplies blocked by fighting.
International efforts, including $2.7 billion in aid pledges, are hampered by access restrictions, with only 15% of funds delivered in 2025. The strikes highlight Sudan’s deepening humanitarian crisis, with no resolution in sight as both factions prioritize military gains.