Sudan: UN Condemns Deadly Wave of Drone Strikes in War-Torn Sudan

Sudan faced a new wave of deadly drone strikes on Monday as the war between the Sudanese Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces continued. The attacks killed and injured civilians and disrupted essential services. The violence came alongside severe hunger and displacement across the country.

In Abyei, drones injured at least 19 people in a busy market. Other strikes targeted several locations in Khartoum, including an area near the airport. One civilian was reportedly killed, and some flights were cancelled. Over the weekend, attacks reportedly killed at least 19 people, including 10 children, across West Darfur, South Darfur and North Kordofan.

UN officials condemned the attacks and urged the warring parties to return to negotiations. The strikes also raised concern about aid workers and medical facilities. A Sudanese Red Crescent volunteer was killed while giving first aid after a drone attack on a health centre in Blue Nile State.

The article does not define the term, but an armed drone strike generally means an attack carried out by an unmanned aircraft carrying weapons. People operate the aircraft remotely, while cameras and other systems help identify and engage targets. This allows attacks without putting the operator in the aircraft.

Drones can threaten civilians far from visible fighting because they can travel toward towns and infrastructure from distant launch points. Markets, airports, health centres, and residential areas may be crowded or difficult to distinguish from military locations. Any mistaken or indiscriminate attack can therefore kill or injure people who are not taking part in hostilities.

Sudan’s recent attacks show the danger. A market in Abyei was hit, Khartoum’s airport area was targeted, and a health centre in Blue Nile State was attacked. The UN says the strikes are killing civilians, including children, and disrupting essential services.

Sudan’s violence is affecting a huge population, but the article does not provide one total number for people harmed or displaced by the war. It does report that 20 million people face acute hunger. Displacement is also soaring, showing that the crisis reaches far beyond the immediate sites of drone attacks.

The hunger crisis is becoming especially dangerous in Darfur and Greater Kordofan, where the risk of famine is rising. Drone attacks add pressure by killing civilians and disrupting essential services. When fighting damages facilities or makes movement unsafe, people can struggle to obtain food, water, healthcare, or other support.

The war began in April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces. Continued fighting, increasing drone use, and attacks on aid workers threaten to deepen the crisis. Humanitarian operations continue, but the response plan is only just over 43 per cent funded.

The Sudanese Armed Forces, or SAF, and the Rapid Support Forces, or RSF, are the two rival military forces named in the article. The article describes the RSF as a paramilitary force. Their war has spread across Sudan and has involved increasing use of armed drones.

The two forces were once allies. Together, they seized power in a 2021 coup. Their alliance later broke down, and fighting erupted in April 2023. The article does not explain the specific dispute that caused the split, so the precise reason for their confrontation is not stated here.

Their conflict now harms civilians and essential services across Sudan. Drone strikes have hit Abyei, Khartoum, West Darfur, South Darfur, North Kordofan, and Blue Nile State. UN officials have urged both sides to stop the violence and return to the negotiating table.

Attacks on civilian infrastructure make survival harder during war. Markets help people obtain food, airports support travel and aid movement, and health centres provide treatment. When strikes damage or threaten these places, civilians may lose access to essential services or avoid them because they fear further attacks.

The article gives several examples. A drone strike injured at least 19 people in a busy market in Abyei. Attacks near Khartoum’s airport reportedly killed one civilian and caused some flights to be cancelled. A health centre in Blue Nile State was attacked, and a Red Crescent volunteer providing first aid was killed.

These disruptions can worsen hunger and displacement by making food, transport, healthcare, and humanitarian assistance less reliable. The UN says 20 million people already face acute hunger. Continued attacks could make aid delivery more difficult, while families may be forced to leave unsafe areas.

Civilians, aid workers, medical facilities, and medical personnel are meant to remain protected during war. They provide essential care and support to people affected by fighting, rather than participating in hostilities. Protecting them helps preserve basic services and gives vulnerable people a chance to survive.

The article reports that 25 Sudanese Red Crescent volunteers have been killed while on duty since the conflict began. It also describes the killing of a volunteer who was giving first aid at a health centre in Um Darfa after a drone attack. These incidents show the direct human cost of targeting humanitarian work.

UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric called such targeting particularly heinous. He reiterated that civilians and civilian infrastructure, including medical facilities and personnel, must be protected under international humanitarian law. Without that protection, injuries, disease, hunger, and displacement can become even harder to address.

Ceasefire negotiations can provide a path toward stopping attacks and protecting civilians. The UN has called on the warring parties to return to the negotiating table. A halt in fighting could reduce drone strikes, protect essential services, and make it safer for aid workers to reach people in need.

Outside actors also have a role. Rosemary DiCarlo urged external actors to stop fuelling the violence and the use of drones. Humanitarian agencies must continue delivering food, water, sanitation, healthcare, and emergency support. In Zalingei, UN partners rehabilitated a water facility, restoring safe water for about 2,500 people.

Aid cannot replace a political solution, but it can reduce immediate suffering. More than 2,000 families received water, sanitation, and hygiene support. The humanitarian response plan is just over 43 per cent funded, so additional funding is needed to sustain lifesaving operations while negotiations pursue an end to the war.