The humanitarian catastrophe in Sudan has entered a grim new phase, with drone strikes killing nearly 700 civilians in just three months according to data compiled by international monitors. The scale of the killings represents one of the highest civilian tolls recorded in any ongoing conflict globally, and aid agencies are warning that conditions are deteriorating faster than the international community can respond.
The strikes, attributed to both sides of Sudan’s brutal civil war, have targeted markets, displacement camps, and civilian infrastructure across Darfur and Kordofan. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) confirmed the toll in a statement, calling the level of civilian harm completely unacceptable and urging all parties to halt strikes on populated areas.
The conflict, which erupted in April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), has created one of the world’s largest displacement crises. More than eight million people have been uprooted, and famine has been formally declared in several regions. The warring factions have repeatedly violated international humanitarian law with little apparent accountability.
What makes the latest drone warfare escalation particularly alarming is its precision and scale. Unlike traditional artillery, drone strikes allow for targeted attacks on specific buildings or convoys — a capability that should, in theory, reduce civilian casualties. Instead, monitors say both sides are using drones to strike civilian locations with little discrimination.
This is a war being fought at altitude, by commanders who never have to see what their weapons destroy on the ground, said one senior UN official, speaking on condition of anonymity. The rules of engagement have effectively collapsed.
The international response has been hampered by deep divisions at the UN Security Council, where neither the United States, Russia, nor key Arab states have been willing to push for a binding ceasefire resolution. Ceasefire negotiations have stalled in Jeddah and Geneva, with both sides exchanging blame for violations.
Humanitarian organisations warn that without a significant political shift, the civilian death toll will continue to climb. With the rainy season approaching, access to displaced populations in Darfur and Kordofan will become even more difficult, deepening the crisis.