Drones Claim the Lives of Sudanese Civilians Since the Start of the Year

Moatinoon – UN
The United Nations Secretary-General strongly condemned the killing of at least 60 people — including children and healthcare workers — in a drone strike that hit El Daein Teaching Hospital in East Darfur on March 20.

UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said in a press statement that the World Health Organization has documented more than 200 attacks affecting healthcare facilities in Sudan since the outbreak of the conflict in April 2023, resulting in over 2,000 deaths.

He added that Secretary-General António Guterres calls on all parties to comply with their obligations under international humanitarian law, which protects healthcare workers and medical facilities and prohibits attacks against civilians and civilian objects.

The Secretary-General urged the parties to immediately de-escalate the fighting and agree to a cessation of hostilities. He renewed his call for the parties to work with mediators — including his Personal Envoy — to return to the negotiating table and reach a lasting ceasefire agreement and a comprehensive, inclusive Sudanese-led political process.

The spokesperson affirmed that the United Nations stands ready to support meaningful steps to end the fighting in Sudan and set the country on a path toward lasting peace.

Drone Attacks Kill Hundreds
The United Nations has warned of a dangerous escalation in the use of drones in Sudan, noting that more than 500 civilians have been killed in airstrikes between January 1 and March 15, most of them in three states in the Kordofan region.

According to information received by the Human Rights Office, more than 277 civilians were killed in the first two weeks of March alone, the majority of them in drone strikes — an indication of the growing reliance on these “relatively cheap and advanced weapons in populated areas.”

This was stated by Marta Hurtado, spokesperson for the UN Human Rights Office, during a press briefing in Geneva on Tuesday, noting that these deadly attacks continued over the past week.

Deadly Attack on the First Day of Eid
In what Hurtado described as the “deadliest” attack — which took place on the first day of Eid al-Fitr — airstrikes and drone attacks targeted El Daein Teaching Hospital in East Darfur State, an area controlled by the Rapid Support Forces, killing at least 64 people, including seven women and 13 children. A doctor was killed and eight healthcare workers were injured, among at least 89 casualties.

Hurtado reported that El Daein Hospital is now completely out of service, further limiting access to healthcare for many people in the area.

On the same day, in the town of Al-Dabba in Northern State, under the control of the Sudanese Armed Forces, drone strikes targeted civilian infrastructure, including an electricity substation and an engineering college. Reports indicated that six people were killed and the area experienced a complete power outage.

On the evening of March 21, reports indicated that 23 people, including women and children, were killed in additional drone strikes targeting a convoy of commercial vehicles in El Daein. In Al-Dabba, other drone attacks were reportedly intercepted.

Regional Implications
Marta Hurtado warned that drone strikes are expanding beyond Sudan’s borders, raising the risk of dangerous escalation with potential regional consequences. Drone attacks were carried out in the border area of Tina between Sudan and Chad, following earlier ground attacks by the Rapid Support Forces.

Hurtado said that the continued targeting of civilians and destruction of civilian infrastructure raises serious concerns about compliance with the fundamental principles of international humanitarian law — distinction, proportionality, and precaution — warning that such attacks “may amount to war crimes.”

She added that the UN Human Rights Office continues to document attacks on markets, energy and water infrastructure, and healthcare facilities, stressing that “healthcare facilities and personnel enjoy special protection against such attacks.”

She urged all states, particularly those with influence, to do their utmost to halt arms transfers that fuel the conflict and are used in blatant disregard of the obligation to protect civilians in conflict zones.

Hurtado reminded all parties to the conflict of their binding obligations to protect civilians, emphasizing the need to renew diplomatic efforts to achieve an immediate ceasefire and bring the conflict to an end.