Drones now leading cause of civilian deaths in Sudan, UN human rights office says – JURIST

UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk on Monday issued a high alert on the widening use of drones in the conflict in Sudan. Türk claimed that unless the international community takes action without delay, the conflict in Sudan will enter a new, even deadlier phase.

The Sudan team at the Human Rights Office found that upwards of 80 percent of all civilian deaths from January to April 2026—numbering at least 880—can be attributed to drone attacks. These include attacks on Friday that killed 26 civilians in Al Quz, South Kordofan, and near El Obeid, North Kordofan.

Türk warned:

This increasing reliance on drones allows hostilities to continue unabated in the approaching rainy season, which in the past has brought about a lull in ground operations. An intensification of hostilities in the coming weeks, as the parties seek to gain or consolidate control of territory amid shifting conflict dynamics, risks hostilities expanding even further to central and eastern states, with lethal consequences for civilians across enormous areas.

Targets struck by drones include healthcare facilities which has rendered hospitals inoperable, and a May 4 attack on the Khartoum International Airport which led to the disruption of all flights. The Sudanese government has accused Ethiopia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) of being behind the drone strike on the Khartoum airport and others. Military spokesperson Brigadier General Asim Awad Abdelwahab claims to have intelligence of four drone attacks since March 1 having originated from Ethiopia’s Bahir Dar using drones provided by the UAE.

The UAE has come under fire for supporting the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in their war against the Sudanese government. The conflict in Sudan erupted in April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The conflict has been described as one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, with the RSF facing accusations of genocide and war crimes by the UN.