UN Human Rights Office Warns of Escalating Drone Attacks in Sudan as 306 People Killed in Three Weeks
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk has warned of escalating drone attacks in Sudan during October, as their devastating impact on civilians and infrastructure grows across several parts of the country.
In a statement issued on Friday, 23 October 2026, the UN Human Rights Office said it had documented at least 306 deaths and hundreds of injuries from drone strikes during the first three weeks of the month.
The statement said attacks attributed to both the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces had struck civilian objects and vital facilities, including homes, markets, hospitals and shelters for displaced people, as well as power stations and water sources.
Türk expressed concern over the expanding use of drones, noting that these attacks had become a major cause of civilian casualties in Sudan this year. They were also worsening humanitarian conditions and forcing more people to flee.
The statement documented attacks on sites sheltering people who had left their communities because of the fighting. Between 6 and 10 October, drone strikes attributed to the Sudanese Armed Forces killed at least 25 civilians and injured 31 others, including women and children, in the Ghubaysh and En Nahud areas of West Kordofan.
On 9 October, a drone attack attributed to the Rapid Support Forces killed at least 31 people, most of them women and children, in the Abu Shandi area of Blue Nile, near a displacement shelter, according to the statement.
The Human Rights Office also reported an attack on a transport truck in the Dibab area of West Kordofan on 18 October. At least 139 people were killed and dozens injured, with an initial strike followed by a further attack on the same location.
The statement highlighted continued attacks on markets in several areas, including Ad Dabba in North Darfur, Nyala in South Darfur and Al Ayda in West Kordofan. According to information documented by the office, these attacks killed a total of 23 civilians.
In the health sector, the statement cited a strike attributed to the Rapid Support Forces against Umm Darfa Hospital in Blue Nile on 11 October. Two healthcare workers were seriously injured and the facility was put out of service.
Türk called on both parties to comply with international humanitarian law, particularly their obligations to protect civilians and civilian objects. He also stressed the need to address the flow of weapons sustaining the war and halt transfers of arms used in violation of international obligations concerning civilian protection.
The High Commissioner said a negotiated settlement grounded in human rights and accountability for violations offered a path towards sustainable peace in Sudan, renewing his call for a ceasefire.
