KHARTOUM — The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces struck additional power stations across Sudan on Wednesday, deepening blackouts that have already left an estimated 14 million people without electricity, Sudan's electricity utility said. The attacks extended a drone campaign against civilian infrastructure.

The strikes followed a wave of RSF drone assaults earlier in the week that knocked out five power stations serving four states. Sudan's Ministry of Energy and Petroleum confirmed the fresh damage and warned that repair crews could not safely reach several substations because of continued fighting.

The RSF, led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, has increasingly turned drones against dams, electrical grids and water facilities as it loses ground to the Sudanese Armed Forces in central and northern regions. Aid agencies including the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs have warned that the blackouts threaten hospitals, water pumping and food storage.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has repeatedly condemned attacks on civilian infrastructure in Sudan and renewed calls for a ceasefire. A spokesperson for OCHA said the loss of power compounded an already catastrophic humanitarian emergency that has displaced more than 11 million people since April 2023.

Medical staff in affected states reported that hospitals were running on dwindling fuel reserves for backup generators, with dialysis units and neonatal wards at immediate risk. Residents in Khartoum and Dongola described nights without electricity and rising prices for diesel and bottled water.