The war in Sudan is severing the lifelines that keep millions of civilians alive. Drone strikes and ground fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have damaged or destroyed a series of bridges and roads vital to the delivery of food, medicine and other aid, the United Nations warned on 9 June.

The most urgent concern centres on the Ardamata bridge in West Darfur state, which links the city of El Geneina to areas near the Chadian border. Overnight explosions reportedly struck the crossing, threatening to cut off one of the main arteries through which commercial goods and humanitarian supplies reach the broader Darfur region. In South Kordofan, two further bridges along the road between Kadugli and Dilling were destroyed over the weekend.

Racing the Rains

The timing is particularly dangerous. As the rainy season begins, UN Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq told reporters in New York that humanitarian partners see no viable alternative routes once seasonal rains intensify. The window to repair or replace these crossings is closing fast. Movement along the Geneina-Zalingei road connecting West and Central Darfur briefly suspended due to rising intercommunal tensions, though it resumed, with access remaining fragile.

Drone activity has spread across multiple states. A drone was reportedly shot down over Omdurman in Khartoum state, while multiple strikes were reported in Dilling. More than 30 million people across Sudan currently require humanitarian assistance, a figure that continues to rise as infrastructure crumbles around them.

Consequences Beyond Sudan

The conflict’s reach now extends firmly into neighbouring Chad. Addressing the Security Council on 9 June, Martha Pobee, the UN Assistant Secretary-General for Africa, described the direct and growing impact of nearly a million Sudanese refugees, alongside some 300,000 Chadian returnees, placing severe strain on Chad’s resources. She warned that repeated cross-border incursions and drone strikes on Chadian military positions risk pulling the region deeper into the war.

The UN World Health Organization meanwhile highlighted the pressure that refugee arrivals have placed on Chad’s already fragile health services, calling for solidarity and coordinated action in providing emergency medical assistance as well as mental health and psychosocial care.

Sources: UN News, 9 June 2026; UN Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq, press briefing, 9 June 2026; Martha Pobee, UN Security Council briefing, 9 June 2026; WHO statement, 9 June 2026