Drone attacks on power stations plunge Sudan’s cities into darkness

Port Sudan, Sudan – Kamal Mohammed, 42, has spent years managing his diabetes. But prolonged power cuts in the al-Taqaddum neighbourhood of Port Sudan, where he lives, have made his life “catastrophic”, he says.Kamal relies on regular insulin injections to manage his diabetes, but unstable electricity supplies make it difficult for him to keep track of the doses he needs or store the medication at the required temperature.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Egypt’s reopening of its embassy in Tripoli signals regional shift on Libyalist 2 of 3Sudan teachers go on strike over meagre salaries and dilapidated schoolslist 3 of 3How SAF successes in Sudan’s Kordofan could turn tide against the RSFend of list“I need an insulin dose every day, but sometimes I have to skip it when power cuts last so long that the refrigerator loses its cooling,” he said.Drone attacksKamal’s story reflects the massive disruptions the war between the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), which broke out in April 2023, has wrought on civilians across Sudan.More than 14 million civilians have been displaced since 2023, including about 4.5 million to neighbouring countries, while more than 150,000 people are believed to have been killed.The fighting between the SAF and RSF, two former military allies, has increasingly turned into a conflict in which civilians and civilian infrastructure are targets. Drone attacks killed more than 160 people in just a few days in western Sudan in October, while hospitals, displacement camps and markets have become targets.Attacks on energy infrastructure have also severely affected healthcare infrastructure, aid groups and other services vital for civilian life.The RSF has intensified attacks on power stations around Khartoum state over the past month, creating an energy crisis in the capital. There has been no clear schedule for the power cuts in Khartoum caused by the damage to energy infrastructure, but blackouts can last anywhere between six hours and a day.Kamal Mohammed, who has diabetes, struggles to keep his insulin at the required temperature amid unreliable electricity supplies [Fatima Edam/Al Jazeera]Weapon of warBetween October 20 and November 2, 2026, there were at least 18 attacks on electricity infrastructure across at least nine states, leading to declining power generation capacity and fuel shortages.Repeated drone attacks on power stations have seen electricity generation fall from about 4,400 megawatts before the war to about 1,100MW today, according to The Associated Press news agency.Mohammed al-Husseini, a political analyst, noted that the RSF stepped up attacks on civilian infrastructure after the SAF captured strategically important towns in the Kordofan region and other areas in recent weeks.“The attacks on power stations aimed to weaken Sudan’s economy and disrupt agricultural and industrial production, both heavily dependent on a reliable electricity supply, particularly as the country prepares for a new agricultural season,” al-Husseini said.“The attacks also sought to disrupt essential services and deepen humanitarian pressures, given electricity’s role in supplying water, maintaining communications and keeping medical facilities, including dialysis centres, operational.”The United Nations has warned about the harrowing effect these attacks are having on civilians already plunged into abject poverty due to the war.“I don’t know where those drone strikes are originating from; we need help passing the message to whoever needs to hear it, that this must stop,” Denise Brown, UN resident and humanitarian coordinator, recently said.“There is no defence for repeatedly hitting power stations and fuel stations. People who need lifesaving dialysis can’t get it. Women are giving birth with no lights in the hospital. Operations can’t take place.”Civilian targetsWith refrigeration no longer a viable option for storing insulin, some people are now buying ice to keep their medicine cool, but not everyone can afford this daily expense.“I can barely afford my medication as my salary is not more than 150,000 Sudanese pounds [$14.4]. Buying even a small block of ice could cost me 7,000 pounds [$0.67] a day,” Kamal said.Electricity supplies were far more stable before fighting began, he said. During the summer, power cuts were limited and rarely lasted more than four hours. Now they are frequent, and the pressure this has caused on the national grid has made utilities even more expensive for customers.“Before the war, my monthly electricity bill was no more than 3,000 pounds [$0.28]. Now it can reach 100,000 pounds [$9.61], although sometimes it is lower because of the prolonged cuts,” said Kamal.Those who can afford them have bought solar panels for a more reliable supply, but these systems cost between 4 and 6 million pounds ($385 to $577), putting them out of reach of most households in Port Sudan.“I considered getting a solar power system to keep my insulin refrigerated, run fans for my children and charge our phones at home. But it is far beyond what I can afford,” Kamal said. “Every day, I have to look for somewhere with a generator where I can charge my phone.”Energy crisisThe energy crisis has left businesses struggling to operate. Osama Omar, 22, is an engineering student who opened a laundry in the Deim Madina neighbourhood of Port Sudan about six months ago to cover his basic living expenses. But prolonged power cuts threaten his small laundry business, which relies heavily on electricity.“For nearly a month now, the supply has become increasingly unreliable, with outages lasting more than 24 hours,” Omar told Al Jazeera.He has tried to adapt his business to the rolling power outages, but their unpredictability makes this difficult, leaving laundry piling up at his premises. At times, he has had to turn down new orders.“Running my business in Sudan already comes with many challenges because of the war, the unstable exchange rate and rising operating costs,” Omar told Al Jazeera. “But power cuts have become another war that Sudanese people are being forced to fight.”Unpredictable power cuts have disrupted Osama Omar’s laundry business in Port Sudan, leaving orders unfinished and piles of clothes waiting to be washed [Fatima Edam/Al Jazeera]The energy crisis is felt across the country, with camps hosting Sudan’s millions of displaced people being particularly hard hit.Sabri Adam, deputy head of the committee overseeing al-Karama 3 displacement camp in al-Damazin, the capital of Blue Nile state, told Al Jazeera that the 3,000 residents there are struggling to cope with the situation.“Many arrived with little more than the clothes they were wearing, leaving behind their homes and belongings,” he told Al Jazeera. “The camp has no electricity supply, relying on just three large floodlights for lighting – one near the communal toilets and two beside the water tanks.”Those with chronic illnesses such as diabetes, who need to store their medication at certain temperatures, have been badly affected.Azhar Abdullah, a displaced woman living in al-Karama 3, said the lack of access to water and electricity has worsened the situation for her 13-year-old daughter, who has a thyroid disorder that requires extra care.“Her heart rate increases and she experiences severe pain when she has to wash clothes by hand or exert herself physically,” Abdullah told Al Jazeera. “I worry that her condition will deteriorate further, as she has to undertake strenuous tasks throughout the day amid the lack of basic services.”