ICRC: Aerial Attacks on Populated Areas Have Reportedly Killed Hundreds in Sudan

PORT SUDAN – Aerial attacks across Sudan have caused a sharp rise in civilian casualties in recent weeks, with hundreds of people reportedly killed as residential areas, markets and locations sheltering displaced people came under attack, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said.

The ICRC said most of the recent attacks were likely carried out using armed drones, warning that the growing use of the technology in populated areas was worsening risks to civilians.

“The use of drones does not change the rules of war,” ICRC Sudan delegation head Lorenzo Caraffi said, stressing that those using the weapons remain bound by international humanitarian law.

The organization said parties planning, authorizing or carrying out attacks must distinguish at all times between civilians and military objectives.

Indiscriminate and disproportionate attacks are prohibited, while combatants must take all feasible precautions to avoid or minimize harm to civilians, the ICRC said.

The warning follows a series of deadly drone and aerial attacks reported across different parts of Sudan, including strikes on residential areas, markets and communities hosting displaced families.

The ICRC said such attacks risk further worsening what it described as the world’s largest humanitarian crisis.

Sudan’s health system is also struggling to cope with growing numbers of people injured by the conflict.

Hospitals supported by the ICRC recorded more than 2,700 weapon-wounded patients during the first half of 2026, according to the organization.

The ICRC said it continues to provide hospitals across Sudan with essential medical supplies, specialist surgical teams and other assistance to help facilities manage the influx of casualties.

The organization urged all parties to consider the foreseeable humanitarian consequences before using armed drones, particularly in densely populated areas.

It warned that technological advances in warfare do not reduce the legal obligations of those conducting attacks or the protections afforded to civilians.