UN: Drone Strikes Drive Most Sudan Civilian Deaths

The United Nations human rights chief warned Monday that intensifying drone strikes in Sudan have become the primary driver of civilian deaths, pushing the civil war toward a deadlier phase amid risks of famine and mass displacement.

Volker Turk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, stated that drone attacks accounted for at least 880 civilian fatalities between January and April this year, representing more than 80 percent of all conflict-related civilian deaths recorded during that period. Most occurred in the Kordofan region and Darfur, according to data from the UN Human Rights Office. Strikes have repeatedly targeted civilian infrastructure, including markets at least 28 times and health facilities on 12 occasions, limiting access to food, water and medical care.

Recent incidents underscore the escalation. On May 8, drone strikes hit Al Quz in South Kordofan and areas near El Obeid in North Kordofan, killing 26 civilians, the rights office reported. Local sources cited by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs indicated that additional airstrikes and clashes around El Obeid and the town of Bara in North Kordofan killed dozens more, including women...