CAIRO — More than 300 children have died in the past six months due to the Sudan war, with the majority of deaths caused by drone strikes, according to the U.N. children’s agency.
The conflict, pitting Sudan’s armed forces against the Rapid Support Forces paramilitary, began in April 2023.
Intense fighting is now concentrated in the Kordofan, Darfur and Blue Nile regions, where UNICEF reports that drone attacks account for about 60% of casualties.
The United Nations, together with the United States, the United Kingdom and other partners, have expressed alarm over possible atrocities as the RSF and government forces battle for control of the strategic city of El Obeid in North Kordofan.
The war has caused at least 59,000 deaths, displaced roughly 13 million people and left many areas of Sudan facing famine, with over 30 million individuals requiring humanitarian assistance.
Drone strikes and shelling have struck civilian infrastructure such as schools, markets, fuel depots and water facilities, endangering more than 500,000 people, while civilians have endured near‑siege conditions for more than a year.
Sheldon Yett, UNICEF Representative for Sudan, said that children are caught in a relentless cycle of violence, displacement and deprivation.
The United Nations called on all parties to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure, facilitate safe, rapid and unimpeded humanitarian access, and take every possible measure to protect children from harm.
