Nearly 700 civilians have been killed in drone strikes across Sudan since January, according to the United Nations, highlighting the escalating toll of a civil war now entering its fourth year.
UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher said most of the deaths occurred within the first three months of 2026, as near-daily drone attacks intensified across multiple conflict zones.
The worst-affected areas include Kordofan and Darfur, where fighting between rival forces remains especially severe.
The UN children’s agency warned that drone strikes are increasingly responsible for child casualties, with attacks reportedly hitting residential areas, markets, and schools.
The war between Sudan’s national army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces has already killed tens of thousands of people and displaced more than 11 million, creating one of the world’s worst displacement crises.
According to humanitarian agencies, more than 19 million people are currently facing acute hunger as food, fuel, and essential supplies become increasingly scarce across the country.
The International Committee of the Red Cross said over 11,000 people have been reported missing since the conflict began, with the number rising sharply in recent months due to continued violence and collapsing communication systems.
Destroyed infrastructure has left many families unable to trace missing relatives, deepening the psychological and humanitarian toll of the war.
The United Nations has described Sudan as the world’s largest humanitarian crisis, noting that nearly two-thirds of the population now requires urgent assistance.
Despite ongoing relief operations reaching millions, aid efforts remain severely underfunded as insecurity and logistical challenges hinder access to affected areas.
Officials warn that continued fighting, combined with rising global instability and economic pressures, could push even more people into famine conditions and further deepen the humanitarian catastrophe.
