UNICEF reports over 300 child casualties over 6 months in Sudan war

More than 300 children have been killed or injured in Sudan's ongoing war over the last six months, primarily due to drone strikes, the UN children's agency reported Monday. The conflict, which began in April 2023 between the Sudanese military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), is now concentrated in the Kordofan, Darfur, and Blue Niles states. UNICEF data indicates that drone warfare accounts for 60% of child casualties. International bodies, including the UN, U.S., and U.K., have voiced alarm over potential atrocities as the RSF and military vie for control of the strategic city of el-Obeid in North Kordofan. In Geneva, the UN-backed Human Rights Council passed a resolution, initiated by five European nations, condemning the RSF's escalating violence around el-Obeid. The measure, adopted without a vote, also urges increased support for Sudanese refugees and condemns external interference in the conflict. The war has resulted in at least 59,000 deaths, displaced approximately 13 million people, and pushed significant parts of Sudan toward famine. Over 30 million individuals require humanitarian assistance. Civilian infrastructure, including schools, markets, and utilities, has been targeted by drone strikes and shelling, endangering over 500,000 people. Civilians have endured near-siege conditions for over a year. "Children are being caught in a relentless cycle of violence, displacement and deprivation," stated Sheldon Yett, UNICEF Representative for Sudan. The UN has urged all parties to protect civilians and infrastructure, ensure unimpeded humanitarian access, and take all necessary measures to safeguard children.

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Children are being caught in a relentless cycle of violence, displacement and deprivation.