A senior official of Sudan’s Peace Government has formally raised concerns with the United Nations over the conduct of the UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan, warning that recent public statements risk undermining humanitarian neutrality and operational credibility.
In an open letter addressed to UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher, and copied to UN Secretary-General António Guterres, Ezzaddean Elsafi, Chairman of the National Authority for Humanitarian Access, criticised a statement issued on 6 February by UN Humanitarian Coordinator Denise Brown regarding an alleged attack on a World Food Programme (WFP) aid truck in North Kordofan.
Elsafi noted that at the time of the statement, WFP itself had not issued any confirmation of the alleged incident. Despite this, the Humanitarian Coordinator’s remarks were followed by condemnation statements from Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Egypt, and later by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, which he said relied on the initial UN claim.
The letter argues that issuing public condemnations without confirmation from the relevant UN operational agency represents a departure from established UN verification and communication standards.
Elsafi also questioned the operational credibility of the claim, stating that UN humanitarian assistance is not normally transported through active conflict zones by a single, uncoordinated vehicle. He noted that standard procedures require security clearance through the UN Department of Safety and Security and the use of clearly marked convoys, details he said were absent from the statement.
He further warned that a lack of factual specificity in public communications by senior UN officials risks escalation and could compromise humanitarian access on the ground.
The letter also raised concerns about possible political influence by Port Sudan–based authorities. Elsafi referenced a leaked National Intelligence Service report dated 6 February 2026, which allegedly described an attack on a General al-Burhan’s army (SAF) logistical convoy in which more than 41 armoured vehicles were destroyed.
According to the report, Sudanese authorities reportedly recommended encouraging diplomatic missions, including the United Nations, to issue condemnation statements against the Rapid Support Forces.
Elsafi said that while politically aligned actors may issue reactive statements, any perception that a senior UN official acted in line with such a strategy risks damaging the UN’s neutrality and credibility.
He also highlighted ongoing coordination between the Peace Government’s National Authority for Humanitarian Access and UN agencies. On the same day as the disputed statement, he said UNICEF, UNDP and WFP requested travel permits for 18 humanitarian trucks moving from El-Obeid in North Kordofan to Dilling in South Kordofan. The request was approved, security guarantees were provided, and the convoy arrived safely.
Elsafi warned that politicisation of humanitarian narratives could erode trust and undermine practical coordination that directly affects civilians.
The letter also pointed to what it described as an imbalance in public responses, noting the absence of comparable condemnation of attacks attributed to the SAF and allied groups, including an attack on WFP premises in Yabus and an airstrike in Dabkar, South Kordofan, which reportedly destroyed five humanitarian trucks and killed three aid workers.
Elsafi urged UN headquarters to take steps to safeguard humanitarian neutrality, review its political engagement approach in Sudan, assess current humanitarian leadership arrangements, and reaffirm its commitment to balanced humanitarian access.
He reaffirmed the Peace Government’s commitment to facilitating humanitarian assistance across Sudan and expressed readiness to continue cooperation with UN agencies.
