KHARTOUM – The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said at least two children were killed and six others injured in a drone strike on a market in Er Rahad, North Kordofan State, warning that children in Sudan continue to face escalating risks as the conflict intensifies.
In a statement, UNICEF Representative in Sudan Sheldon Yett said preliminary reports indicated that the attack also killed four adults and injured more than 20 people.
“Markets must never become places of death and destruction,” Yett said, describing the strike as another stark reminder of the devastating impact of the war on children.
He said international attention on the city of El Obeid should not overshadow the suffering of children in other conflict-affected areas, including North Kordofan, South Kordofan, North Darfur and Blue Nile states.
Yett added that repeated attacks are not only claiming lives but also destroying homes, schools, healthcare facilities, water systems and markets, depriving children of essential services and forcing more families to flee.
UNICEF also warned that insecurity and attacks on supply routes continue to hamper humanitarian operations, limiting aid agencies’ ability to reach communities most in need.
The agency called on all parties to the conflict to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure, comply with international humanitarian law and ensure that humanitarian assistance reaches children and affected communities safely, rapidly and without obstruction.
The statement comes amid an increase in drone attacks across North Kordofan, where Sudanese authorities have blamed the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) for strikes on markets, residential neighborhoods and other civilian sites. The RSF has not commented on the specific incident.
Recent attacks on El Obeid and Er Rahad have drawn widespread local and international condemnation, with the United Nations and human rights organizations warning of an increasing toll on civilians as Sudan’s humanitarian crisis deepens.
