The United Nations condemns: Drones have killed 1,000 civilians in Sudan in five months.
Ahmed Salem
For years, Sudan has been living in a state of war that has witnessed violent events against civilians, using multiple weapons, most notably drones, whose attacks have killed more than a thousand civilians in the first five months of this year, which was condemned by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on Monday.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, told the Human Rights Council in Geneva that the ongoing conflict in Sudan has seen a dangerous escalation and expansion in the scope of military operations, noting the increasing reliance on drones in combat.
Turk explained that the United Nations Human Rights Office documented the killing of more than a thousand civilians as a result of attacks carried out by drones during the period between January and May 2026.
The spread of rape and sexual violence crimes
The UN official also expressed deep concern about the continued spread of rape and sexual violence crimes, in light of the deteriorating humanitarian and security situation in the country.
Drones have become one of the most prominent features of the ongoing Sudanese war since April 2023 between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces, with their use in carrying out military attacks escalating in recent months.
Turk's remarks come at a time when regional and international efforts are intensifying to stop the war and end the Sudanese crisis, amid a worsening humanitarian catastrophe and growing demands for a comprehensive political process led by Sudanese civilian forces.
The war, which has entered its fourth year, has left tens of thousands dead, with unofficial estimates suggesting that the number of victims has exceeded 200,000 people, in addition to the displacement of millions of Sudanese inside and outside the country, and the spread of famine in several areas of the Darfur and Kordofan regions.
