They let any trapped water drain from the inside sill cavity. Water shouldn't get in there by rights but condensation builds up eventually, leaky/rusty window seals/apertures could let water run down inside of panel and find its way into the lower sill.
You can use them to squirt a bit of cavity wax into the inner & outer sill (with the thin extension on rattle can wax).
thought that might be the answer, but when you usually only see a rusty edge it's not normally apparent, nice idea but probably answers why so many sills rot from the inside out. they get blocked or painted over