Drone strikes killed and injured dozens of people across Sudan on Monday, 19 October 2026, with the United Nations warning that the escalating use of armed drones is killing civilians and disrupting essential services. "We are alarmed by the continued deadly drone strikes across the country that are killing civilians, including children, and that are disrupting essential services," UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told journalists in New York.
On Monday alone, strikes injured at least 19 people in a busy market in Abyei and hit several locations in Khartoum, including an area near the airport, where one civilian was reportedly killed and some flights cancelled. Over the preceding weekend, drone attacks reportedly killed at least 19 people — including 10 children — and injured others across West Darfur, South Darfur and North Kordofan States. "We condemn all of these attacks unequivocally," Mr. Dujarric said.
The attacks form part of the broader war between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), former allies who jointly seized power in a 2021 coup before fighting erupted in April 2023. The rising drone activity unfolds as 20 million people face acute hunger, with a rising risk of famine in parts of Darfur and Greater Kordofan.
Aid workers have not been spared. Since the conflict began, 25 Sudanese Red Crescent volunteers have reportedly been killed while on duty. Mr. Dujarric expressed deep sadness over the killing last week of a volunteer who was providing first aid at a health centre in Um Darfa in Blue Nile State following a drone attack on the facilities. "The targeting of those who put their own lives at risk to help others in humanitarian settings is particularly heinous," he said, reiterating that civilians and civilian infrastructure — including medical facilities and personnel — must be protected under international humanitarian law.
Rosemary DiCarlo, Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, urged external actors to stop fuelling the violence and drone usage, and called once again on the warring parties to return to the negotiating table, during a briefing to the Security Council last Friday.
Humanitarian operations continue despite the conditions. In Central Darfur state, UN partners recently rehabilitated a water facility in Zalingei, restoring safe water access for some 2,500 people, and more than 2,000 families have received water, sanitation and hygiene support. Sudan's humanitarian response plan remains just over 43 per cent funded, with the UN again calling for additional contributions to sustain lifesaving operations.
This article is based on a primary source and has undergone editorial review prior to publication.
