Media Home
UN Web TV
UN Audiovisual Library
UN PhotoUN / SUDAN UPDATE
Download
There is no media available to download.
Share
STORY: UN / SUDAN UPDATE
TRT: 02:50
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGES: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 21 AUGUST 2025, NEW YORK CITY / FILE
FILE – NEW YORK CITY
1. Wide shot, United Nations headquarters
21 AUGUST 2025, NEW YORK CITY
2. Wide shot, press briefing room
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Daniela Gross De Almeida, Associate Spokesperson, United Nations:
“I have a note, a humanitarian update on Sudan. The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is gravely concerned by yet another attack on a humanitarian convoy – this time near Al Melit, in North Darfur State, which happened on August 20th. The convoy, operated by the World Food Programme (WFP), consisted of 16 trucks carrying life-saving food assistance for vulnerable families. Three trucks were destroyed after catching fire during the drone attack. Fortunately, all convoy personnel are safe and accounted for. In a statement issued a short while ago, the Acting Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan, Luca Renda, condemned the attack in the strongest terms and called for an immediate and independent investigation into the incident and for parties found responsible to be held to account. OCHA stresses once again that international humanitarian law must be respected, and the safety and protection of humanitarian personnel and supplies must be ensured. Humanitarian workers must be allowed to carry out their work without fear, obstruction or violence.”
4. Med shot, journalists
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Daniela Gross De Almeida, Associate Spokesperson, United Nations:
“This latest attack comes less than three months after another attack on a WFP and UNICEF humanitarian convoy in Al Koma, North Darfur state, in early June. That convoy was awaiting clearance to proceed to the state capital El Fasher. Five members of the convoy were killed and several more people were injured. These attacks come at a time when nearly 25 million people in Sudan are experiencing acute hunger. Meanwhile, food insecurity continues to deepen across Sudan. According to WFP’s Market Monitor for July, prices for all major food items rose sharply compared to June, driving the national average cost of the WFP Local Food Basket up by more than a quarter. The surge is largely driven by extreme price hikes in the markets in El Fasher and in Kadugli, the capital of South Kordofan State. The UN and its partners continue to respond to urgent needs wherever access is possible, but insecurity, logistical constraints and underfunding remain major barriers to scaling up humanitarian assistance.”
6. Wide shot, end of press briefing
A drone attack on a humanitarian convoy near Al Melit in North Darfur State of Sudan on August 20 destroyed three trucks carrying food aid for vulnerable families, the United Nations said.
Briefing reporters in New York today (Aug 21), Daniela Gross De Almeida, Associate UN Spokesperson, said the convoy was operated by the World Food Programme (WFP) and all convoy personnel were reported safe.
She added that Luca Renda, Acting Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan, condemned the attack in the strongest terms, calling for “an immediate and independent investigation into the incident and for parties found responsible to be held to account.”
“OCHA stresses once again that international humanitarian law must be respected, and the safety and protection of humanitarian personnel and supplies must be ensured. Humanitarian workers must be allowed to carry out their work without fear, obstruction or violence,” she said.
The spokesperson noted that this latest attack comes less than three months after another strike on a WFP and UNICEF convoy in Al Koma, North Darfur, in early June, which left five people dead and several injured.
“These attacks come at a time when nearly 25 million people in Sudan are experiencing acute hunger. Meanwhile, food insecurity continues to deepen across Sudan. According to WFP’s Market Monitor for July, prices for all major food items rose sharply compared to June, driving the national average cost of the WFP Local Food Basket up by more than a quarter. The surge is largely driven by extreme price hikes in the markets in El Fasher and in Kadugli, the capital of South Kordofan State,” Gross De Almeida said.
She added that the UN and its partners continue to respond to urgent needs wherever access is possible, but insecurity, logistical constraints and underfunding remain major barriers to scaling up humanitarian assistance.
