Key facts
- Over 300 children have been killed in Sudan's war in the past six months.
- Drone strikes are responsible for the majority of child casualties.
- The war has displaced approximately 13 million people.
- More than 30 million people require humanitarian assistance.
- Civilian infrastructure, including schools and markets, has been targeted.
More than 300 children have been killed in the ongoing war in Sudan over the past six months, with drone strikes being the primary cause of these fatalities, according to a statement from the U.N. children's agency, UNICEF. The conflict, which began in April 2023 between the Sudanese military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), has now intensified in Kordofan, Darfur, and Blue Niles states, where drone warfare accounts for 60% of casualties.
UNICEF noted that children are caught in a cycle of violence, displacement, and deprivation. The agency also highlighted that civilian infrastructure, including schools and markets, has been targeted by drone strikes and shelling, putting over half a million people at risk. The broader conflict has resulted in at least 59,000 deaths, displaced 13 million people, and pushed many regions toward famine, with over 30 million people in need of humanitarian assistance.
UNICEF has urged the warring parties to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure, ensure safe and unimpeded humanitarian access, and take all necessary measures to safeguard children from harm.