Drone strikes kill at least 48 displaced civilians in Sudan

The UN has condemned a series of drone strikes that killed at least 48 displaced civilians in Sudan’s Blue Nile and West Kordofan states, according to Radio Dabanga. The victims included women and children who had fled the fighting and sought refuge in these areas.

In the locality of Wad El Mahi, in Blue Nile, a strike near a displacement site killed at least 31 people and wounded dozens. Denise Brown, the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan, said some of the wounded were in serious condition and that the death toll could rise. The victims had fled fighting in the localities of Geissan and Kurmuk.

Two other strikes hit West Kordofan on 9 October, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). In El Nuhud, an attack on a building housing displaced families killed at least 12 civilians and wounded eight. A strike in a residential neighbourhood of Ghubeish killed five people, including three children.

Denise Brown called for those responsible to be held accountable and urged the parties to the conflict to respect international humanitarian law. OCHA also called for the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure, warning that the increasing number of drone attacks puts displaced people at greater risk. The strikes are part of a series of drone attacks in Sudan, including those reported in Darfur and Kordofan.