UN reports 880 civilians killed880 civilians killed by drone strikes in Sudan from January to April
The United Nations human rights office reported on May 11, 2026, that at least 880 civilians died in drone strikes across Sudan between January and April amid the ongoing civil war.
UN officials warned that intensifying hostilities and drone attacks are driving the conflict into a new, deadlier phase, with risks of expansion to central and eastern regions.
This surge in civilian casualties underscores the escalating humanitarian crisis in one of the world's most severe armed conflicts.
- Drones account for over 80% of conflict-related civilian deaths, marking a historic shift in warfare tactics within internal conflicts.
- Sudan's humanitarian crisis has displaced over 11 million people, making it the world's largest displacement crisis by population affected.
- The RSF evolved from Janjaweed militias, linking current violence to the 2003 Darfur genocide that killed approximately 300,000 people.
Sudan Civil War
Sudan’s army and the Rapid Support Forces remain locked in a nationwide war that has shifted across central and western Sudan, with heavy fighting and drone attacks reported in places including Khartoum, White Nile, Kordofan, and Darfur. Recent strikes and ground assaults have killed civilians and kept pressure on hospitals, markets, roads, and other civilian sites.
29 May, 02:01 PM
RSF-linked fighters kill 27 civilians in North Kordofan12 March, 06:04 AM
RSF drone strikes kill 17 including students in Sudan's White Nile State
