Sudan drone strikes kill over 1,000 civilians in first five months of 2026, UN says

U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk told the Human Rights Council that more than 1,000 civilians were killed by drone strikes in Sudan between January and May 2026, noting a sharp rise in both drone attacks and sexual violence. “Between January and May 2026, our office recorded more than 1,000 civilians killed in drone strikes,” he said.

The war, which erupted on 15 April 2023 after a power struggle between Sudan’s regular army and the Rapid Support Forces, has already caused at least 59,000 deaths and displaced millions. Recent strikes, including one that hit a cemetery and a gas station in el‑Obeid, killed at least 15 people and have increasingly targeted civilian infrastructure such as hospitals, schools, markets and displacement camps.

The conflict has generated the world’s largest humanitarian crisis, with roughly 34 million Sudanese—about two‑thirds of the population—requiring aid. The United Nations and rights groups have described widespread rape and other sexual violence as “rampant,” labeling the atrocities as war crimes and crimes against humanity.