Drone strikes have killed more than 1,000 civilians in Sudan during the first five months of 2026, marking a significant escalation in the conflict that has engulfed the country since April 2023, according to a senior United Nations official. Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, reported a marked increase in the use of drone warfare as well as in incidents of rape and sexual violence linked to the ongoing fighting.

Türk addressed the Human Rights Council in Geneva on Monday, noting that the conflict has expanded and intensified with the widespread deployment of unmanned aerial vehicles. His office has documented over 1,000 civilian deaths caused by drone strikes between January and May 2026.

The Sudanese conflict erupted on April 15, 2023, when tensions between the military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) escalated into open hostilities. Fighting began in the capital, Khartoum, and soon spread to other parts of the country. The violence has resulted in at least 59,000 deaths over three years, according to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED). However, ACLED cautions that the actual toll is likely higher due to reporting challenges in the conflict zone.

Data from ACLED highlights a dramatic rise in drone-related fatalities and attacks in 2025 compared to 2024. Last year alone saw a 600% increase in drone-related deaths and an 81% rise in drone strikes. The RSF has frequently targeted civilian infrastructure, including hospitals, schools, markets, dams, and displacement camps, with explosive-laden drones.

Most recently, a drone strike carried out by the RSF hit a cemetery and a gas station in the central city of el-Obeid, killing at least 15 people, according to local health officials.

The conflict has precipitated the world’s largest humanitarian crisis, with approximately 34 million people—nearly two-thirds of Sudan’s population—requiring some form of humanitarian assistance.

In parallel with the rising violence, victims of abuses linked to the conflict have called on Kenyan prosecutors to investigate allegations of torture and sexual violence committed by RSF members. This represents the first effort to pursue legal action against the paramilitary group beyond Sudan’s borders.

As the fighting continues, the targeting of civilians and civilian infrastructure by drone strikes and other means remains a critical concern for international observers and humanitarian agencies.