In a stark revelation from the U.N. children’s agency on Monday, over 300 children have been tragically killed or injured amid Sudan’s ongoing conflict, with drone strikes accounting for much of the devastation. The complex battle between the Sudanese military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has persisted since April 2023, severely impacting the nation.
The intense fighting, heavily affecting the Kordofan, Darfur, and Blue Nile regions, continues to wreak havoc, with drone warfare responsible for approximately 60% of the casualties, according to UNICEF. International concern is escalating, particularly over the strategic city of el-Obeid in North Kordofan, where the RSF and the military are locked in a fierce struggle.
On Monday in Geneva, the U.N.-backed Human Rights Council passed a resolution spearheaded by five European nations, denouncing the violence instigated by the RSF and its associates around el-Obeid. Passed without opposition, the resolution urges international support for nations sheltering Sudanese refugees and criticizes external interference in the conflict, among other stipulations.
The ongoing violence has claimed at least 59,000 lives, displaced 13 million individuals, and thrust many areas of Sudan into dire famine conditions. Over 30 million people are now in urgent need of humanitarian aid. Indiscriminate drone strikes and shelling have devastated civilian infrastructure, including educational institutions, commercial hubs, and essential utilities, leaving half a million people under extreme threat. For more than a year, civilians have endured siege-like conditions.
Sheldon Yett, UNICEF’s Representative for Sudan, lamented the grim reality: “Children are being caught in a relentless cycle of violence, displacement and deprivation.” The U.N. continues to urge all parties involved to ensure the protection of civilians and critical infrastructure, to allow unhindered humanitarian efforts, and to take urgent measures to safeguard children from harm.
