A drone attack in Sudan's capital, Khartoum, killed three children on Monday, according to Emergency Lawyers, a group that monitors violence against civilians in the country's ongoing conflict. This strike comes as both the Sudanese military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have intensified airstrikes, leading to dozens of civilian deaths in the Kordofan region in recent days.
The attack in Imtidad Nasser, a neighborhood east of Khartoum's airport, resulted in the deaths of children aged two, four, and six. Emergency Lawyers labeled the incident a humanitarian tragedy and a "serious violation" requiring investigation and accountability. The RSF has not yet commented on the Khartoum strike.
In separate incidents over the weekend, the Sudanese military reportedly carried out drone attacks in West Kordofan province. The military allegedly bombed a market in al-Muglad on Saturday and the Al-Dabab area on Sunday, resulting in the deaths of dozens of civilians, including women and children. Emergency Lawyers described these actions as violations of international humanitarian law.
The conflict between the Sudanese military and the RSF began in April 2023, escalating from prior tensions into widespread fighting that has now engulfed the country.
The war has claimed the lives of at least 59,000 people, according to the conflict monitor ACLED, though aid organizations suggest the actual death toll may be higher. The United Nations reports that approximately 13 million people have been displaced, creating what aid groups describe as the world's largest humanitarian crisis.
This year, 33.7 million people in Sudan, including 17.3 million children, require urgent humanitarian assistance. The UN estimates that 825,000 children are facing severe acute malnutrition. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), a global hunger monitor, recently warned that the ongoing conflict and drought are worsening food insecurity in Darfur and Kordofan. Two displacement camps in these regions have recorded malnutrition levels exceeding famine thresholds.
Efforts to address the crisis at the international level include a recent U.S. call at the U.N. Security Council for a humanitarian truce and an expanded arms embargo on Sudan. However, China and Russia have opposed widening the embargo.