Communication services provided by the three main telecom companies in Sudan were disrupted on Sunday across most parts of the country.
According to Sudan News, while Zain managed to maintain some connectivity in certain areas, both MTN and Sudani issued separate statements declaring a complete outage of their communication and internet services due to unspecified technical issues.
The interruption of communication services poses a significant challenge as the majority of the population relies on banking applications for their daily transactions amidst a cash crunch, with most banks and ATMs, especially in Khartoum and central regions of Sudan, being out of service.
This comes against the backdrop of the conflict that erupted in mid-April 2023 between the army and the Rapid Support Forces, causing extensive damage to infrastructure, public buildings, and residential areas due to aerial and ground bombardments by the conflicting parties.
Over 60% of the capital’s areas, including residential neighborhoods, markets, industrial facilities, and utilities like electricity and water networks, have been severely affected by the destruction.
Earlier, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) reported on Friday that people in Sudan are dying of hunger due to the humanitarian crisis triggered by the ongoing conflict between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces.
Al Arabiya channel highlighted that the WFP’s statement indicated that currently, 18 million people across Sudan are facing severe levels of hunger.
The WFP has called on the warring parties in Sudan to provide immediate guarantees for the safe delivery of aid to civilians in need. The statement added that crossing conflict lines to deliver relief in Sudan is nearly impossible for aid agencies.
The WFP urged the conflicting sides in the African country to consider the broader implications beyond the battlefield and allow humanitarian organizations to operate effectively.
