NAIROBI – Drone strikes killed at least 300 civilians in Sudan during the first three weeks of October, as attacks increasingly hit markets, displacement sites, hospitals and critical infrastructure, a coalition of international aid agencies said.
The Sudan INGO Forum said in its sixth alert on drone warfare that October had become one of the deadliest periods for civilians in 2026, reflecting what it described as a sharp escalation in the use of unmanned aircraft across the country.
The Forum said drone strikes had already killed at least 880 civilians between January and May, underscoring the growing role of the weapons in civilian casualties during Sudan’s war.
October saw several high-casualty incidents, including a strike on a market in Nyala, South Darfur, on Oct. 26 that killed and wounded more than 150 people, according to the alert.
Another drone attack near Amiet Market and Todach in the disputed Abyei region on Oct. 19 killed and wounded dozens of civilians.
Civilian Infrastructure Hit Across 12 States
The Forum said drone attacks damaged civilian infrastructure in at least 12 states, including North, South and East Darfur; North, South and West Kordofan; Blue Nile; Gedaref; Sennar; Al Jazirah; White Nile; and Khartoum.
Targets and affected sites included shelters, water facilities, markets, transport hubs, hospitals, power stations and residential areas.
In Blue Nile, a strike on Um Darfa hospital in Wad Al-Mahi locality killed at least one Sudanese Red Crescent volunteer and wounded two health workers.
In El Obeid, repeated attacks have contributed to severe pressure on healthcare, with the Forum saying only about 30% of the city’s hospitals remained operational.
The alert also cited a strike on two World Food Programme-contracted trucks carrying food along the Dilling-Kadugli road that killed a driver.
Drone attacks also struck displacement sites and shelters in El Obeid, Ghubaysh, Al-Nahud and Abu Shendi, with women and children among the victims.
Power and Water Services Under Growing Pressure
The Forum warned that attacks on Sudan’s electricity network were compounding the humanitarian crisis.
Six power stations were struck in a single day across Gedaref, Sennar, Al Jazirah and White Nile, disrupting electricity supplies across southeastern Sudan.
A separate attack on Al-Markhiyat substation in Omdurman caused outages across large parts of Khartoum and Al Jazirah, while another strike affected Umm Dabakir power station in White Nile.
The Forum said repeated attacks on electricity and fuel infrastructure were undermining access to clean water, refrigerated food and medical supplies.
The escalation comes during a critical harvest period in Sudan, where conflict, displacement and deteriorating food security are already placing millions of people under severe humanitarian pressure.
The Forum called on all parties to comply with international humanitarian law and the Jeddah Declaration, immediately stop attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure, and take precautions to protect humanitarian workers and essential services.
It also called for rapid, safe and sustained humanitarian access across conflict lines and urged parties to protect farmland, grazing areas, water sources, markets and key roads during the October-to-January harvest season.
The coalition urged states and regional organizations involved in mediation to increase diplomatic pressure on the warring parties and those with influence over them to secure concrete commitments on civilian protection and humanitarian access.
