The coastal city of Port Sudan, once a refuge from the civil war ravaging the country, is now on the verge of collapse after enduring a relentless week of drone attacks by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Fuel depots have been set ablaze, power outages have intensified, and water has become a rare luxury.
Soaring Prices and Basic Survival at Risk
After six days of aerial bombardments, thick black smoke still blankets the skies over Port Sudan. The destruction of key fuel storage sites has crippled water supply systems, leaving residents without diesel to power water pumps. Prices for clean water have skyrocketed fivefold within days.
Mutasim, a 26-year-old displaced resident who fled from Omdurman, told the BBC he now pays 10,000 Sudanese pounds ($16.50) for what used to cost 2,000. “We can barely afford to cook or clean,” he said, adding that he supports eight family members through small-scale trade.
Blackouts and Fuel Shortages Disrupt Daily Life
With fuel scarcity worsening, long lines of vehicles now crowd the city’s petrol stations. Residents report waiting up to five hours to refuel. Meanwhile, extended blackouts have plunged neighborhoods into darkness and left many struggling to endure the sweltering heat.
“My aunt is over 70 and suffers terribly without electricity for fans,” Mutasim said. “We can’t sleep.”
A Fragile Refuge Under Siege
Port Sudan had previously remained one of the few stable regions in the country. Thousands sought safety here after fleeing violence elsewhere. But that sense of security has been shattered.
Hawa Mustafa, a teacher from Darfur now living in a displacement camp with her children, described the terror brought by the drone strikes. “We thought we had escaped war,” she said. “Now it has followed us here.”
Humanitarian Lifeline Threatened
Port Sudan has served as a crucial aid corridor for humanitarian agencies, including the UN’s World Food Programme (WFP), which uses the port and the city’s international airport to deliver essential food and supplies.
“Port Sudan is our main humanitarian hub,” said Leni Kinzli, WFP spokesperson. In March alone, nearly 20,000 metric tonnes of aid passed through the city. But the recent attacks now threaten to halt relief efforts altogether.
Shashwat Saraf of the Norwegian Refugee Council warned, “The damage to Port Sudan could cut off the lifeline for millions. If alternative routes aren’t found soon, the humanitarian crisis will worsen dramatically.”
A City in the Shadows
Before the airstrikes, residents of Port Sudan enjoyed some normalcy — evening strolls by the coast, café gatherings to watch football. Today, the city is cloaked in silence and fear. With no lights, no safety, and no certainty, Port Sudan’s fragile stability is slipping away.