Sudan drone strikes kill 114, including 63 children, deepening crisis: WHO

The World Health Organisation on Monday confirmed that last week’s drone strikes on a kindergarten and nearby areas in Sudan’s Kordofan state killed 114 people, including 63 children, as global concern deepened over escalating violence and the humanitarian crisis in the region.

According to WHO, three drone strikes hit Kagoli last Thursday. The first targeted a kindergarten, and subsequent strikes hit paramedics rushing survivors to a hospital. Initial casualty figures were unclear due to communication blackouts. WHO chief Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus said on X that the organisation “deplores these senseless attacks on civilians and health facilities” and reiterated calls for an immediate end to the violence and unrestricted humanitarian access.

Rights groups, including the Sudan Doctors’ Network and Emergency Lawyers, blamed the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) for the attack. Emergency Lawyers described it as “a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law,” noting that the strikes targeted civilians, medical personnel and protected infrastructure. Under international law, deliberate or indiscriminate attacks on civilians, children, hospitals, ambulances and rescue workers constitute grave breaches and may amount to war crimes.

The violence comes amid a two-year war between the RSF and the Sudanese military, which began in April 2023 after a power struggle between the two forces. Tensions escalated following disagreements over integrating the RSF into the national army after their joint 2021 coup, leading to a breakdown in negotiations and open warfare. Since then, more than 40,000 people have been killed and about 12 million displaced, although aid groups warn the real toll is far higher.

Fighting has intensified in the strategically important Kordofan region after the RSF captured el-Fasher, the military’s last major stronghold in Darfur. The takeover triggered mass atrocities, including reports of executions and sexual violence, forcing more than 100,000 people to flee. UN human rights chief Volker Türk has warned that similar abuses could unfold in Kordofan.

Humanitarian agencies caution that continued violence in Kordofan is likely to drive even more displacement and deepen the crisis, especially as famine spreads. Famine was declared last month in Kadugli, the capital of South Kordofan, while Dilling is experiencing similar hunger conditions. With healthcare facilities collapsing, aid routes blocked and markets disrupted, agencies warn the region could face one of the gravest humanitarian disasters since the conflict began.