Drone strikes leave Sudan's grid hanging on a single dam

According to the AP report carried by DTN, the 1 November strikes knocked out the Dongola substation in Northern State and the Abu Hamad substation in River Nile State; a facility guard was killed in Dongola. Türkiye Today, citing Anadolu Agency, reported that the Aroma and New Halfa substations in Kassala State were hit on the morning of 2 November. The same report says 15 power facilities across the country were targeted in the past week. The Emergency Lawyers group also counts 15 substations struck since the start of October.

According to AP, Um Dabakir, the country's largest thermal plant at 500 megawatts, lost four transformers last week and three generating units were damaged. Two states, White Nile and North Kordofan, have been cut off from the grid. Merowe Dam, at 1,250 megawatts, provides more than 70% of electricity, while the other hydroelectric dams together produce no more than 100 megawatts. National output has dropped from 4,400 megawatts before the war to 1,100 megawatts.

The second-order effects are showing in farming and health. AP reports that irrigation pumps need either electricity or diesel, and diesel is unavailable in local markets just as winter planting begins; a household solar system costs about 5,000 dollars. The Sudan Doctors Network says the outages put hospitals, dialysis centres and blood banks at risk; at least 59,000 people have died in the war. The government blames the strikes on the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). On 31 October the foreign ministry alleged the drones were supplied by the UAE and launched from Ethiopia; the UAE denies the charge.