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UN: Sudan Drone Strikes Kill 1,000+ Civilians in 2026
The UN rights chief said armed drones now account for most civilian deaths tied to the war, as both sides expand attacks on civilian sites.
On Monday, UN rights chief Volker Turk condemned a 'sharp increase' in drone warfare in Sudan, where more than 1,000 civilians were killed by such strikes in the first five months of this year.
Fighting between the regular army and the UAE-backed Rapid Support Forces erupted in April 2023, intensifying recently in the Kordofan region and Blue Nile state near the Ethiopian border.
Drone strikes on the strategic city of El-Obeid killed 23 people last week, marking one of the deadliest aerial attacks since the war began. A resident of the Al-Matar neighbourhood said, 'The roofs of houses collapsed on their occupants.'
Addressing the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Turk reported that his office documented more than 1,000 civilians killed by drone strikes between January and May 2026, and that 'rape and sexual violence are rampant.'
The Norwegian Refugee Council described the war this month as one of the world's most neglected crises, noting the conflict has killed tens of thousands and forced more than 11 million people from their homes.