UN counts 306 Sudan drone deaths in three weeks

The UN Human Rights Office said on Friday it had documented at least 306 deaths and hundreds of injuries from drone strikes in Sudan in the first three weeks of October, with strikes attributed to both the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces.

Why it matters: Drones now account for most conflict-related civilian deaths in Sudan this year, according to the UN, and repeated strikes on displacement sites, markets and hospitals are deepening the humanitarian crisis.

Data as of October 23, 2026, 14:52 ET: UN Human Rights Office press release of October 23, 2026, read in full, for the documented toll of at least 306 deaths in the first three weeks of October and the incidents cited; UN News report of October 23, 2026 for the same release. The office attributes strikes to both parties and describes several individual attacks as alleged. Developing item.

The UN Human Rights Office said on Friday it had documented at least 306 deaths and hundreds of injuries from drone strikes in Sudan in the first three weeks of October, in Kordofan, Darfur, Blue Nile, Khartoum and other states, with strikes attributed to both the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces and hitting homes, markets, hospitals, displacement sites, power stations and water sources. The office cited strikes on displacement shelters in Ghubeish and El Nuhud in West Kordofan that killed at least 25 civilians between October 6 and 10, a strike near a displacement site in Abu Shendi in Blue Nile that killed at least 31 people on October 9, and a repeat strike on a transport truck in Dibab, West Kordofan, that killed at least 139 people on October 18. UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk called on both parties to commit to a ceasefire and said broader peace efforts must address the continued influx of arms fuelling the conflict.

UN counts 306 Sudan drone deaths in three weeks

Sources