Armed drones caused two in three child casualties in Sudan this year, UNICEF says, as strikes hit power stations across the country
UNICEF said on Tuesday that armed drones caused two in three child casualties recorded in Sudan this year — about 270 of 410 children killed or injured between January and September — and that long-range drones, some travelling up to 1,500 kilometres, struck as many as 15 power stations in October alone. The agency said it cannot tell who carried out the power-station strikes, and that when power fails, water pumps and treatment stop with it.
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Key points
- UNICEF says drones caused two in three child casualties in Sudan this year: about 270 of 410 children killed or injured between January and September.
- Up to 15 power stations were struck in October; in the month's last week, no day passed without a drone strike on one.
- Some drones now travel up to 1,500 km, and UNICEF says it cannot tell who carried out the power-station strikes.
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- Power cuts stop water pumps and treatment with them; 825,000 children under five are expected to suffer severe acute malnutrition this year.
What happened
Sudan's war between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces has run since April 2023. As front lines have settled, both sides have turned increasingly to drones that can strike far behind them without exposing their own fighters.
The strikes land on a country already short of food and water: drought has largely closed the planting window for the next cereal harvest, and aid agencies say their warehouses and funding are stretched across several crises at once.
What we know / what we don't know yet
What we know
- UNICEF's figures and account, given in Geneva on Tuesday: two in three child casualties caused by drones this year, about 270 of 410 recorded between January and September, and up to 15 power stations struck in October.
- That UNICEF cannot attribute the power-station strikes to either side.
What we don't know yet
- Who carried out the October power-station strikes — UNICEF says attribution is impossible for agencies to establish, and neither side's account has been published in the reporting read.
- The full child casualty toll since September, and how many of October's strikes hit other civilian infrastructure.
- Whether either side will answer UNICEF's call to stop attacks on power, water and other civilian systems.
Claim by claim
Show all claims (5)
Why this label: Elder's words are UNICEF's own statement, published by the agency and reported by UN News, both read in full.
On the ladder: a claim earns Verified from primary evidence, or from two independent sources that do not copy each other.
Why this label: The two-in-three share is UNICEF's own figure, stated by Elder in Geneva and carried in the agency's release; the 410 and about-270 counts for January to September are reported by News Central TV and Arab News from the same UNICEF briefing.
On the ladder: a claim earns Verified from primary evidence, or from two independent sources that do not copy each other.
Why this label: The range and the absence of attribution are UNICEF's own account, in its release and UN News' report. No party is named as responsible for the power-station strikes, and none is named here.
On the ladder: a claim earns Verified from primary evidence, or from two independent sources that do not copy each other.
Why this label: The mechanism, the cholera pockets and the malnutrition estimate are UNICEF's own account in its 10 November statement.
On the ladder: a claim earns Verified from primary evidence, or from two independent sources that do not copy each other.
Why this label: The funding share and the three calls are UNICEF's own statement, published by the agency.
On the ladder: a claim earns Verified from primary evidence, or from two independent sources that do not copy each other.
Why it matters
Drones are changing who the war reaches. When the target is a power station, the casualties are counted later — in dry pumps, untreated water, spoiled vaccines and missed harvests — and UNICEF's figures say children are carrying two-thirds of the direct toll as well.
Background
War breaks out in Sudan between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces.
Drone strikes hit as many as 15 power stations across Sudan; in the month's final week, not a day passes without one being struck.
UNICEF briefs journalists in Geneva: drones caused two in three child casualties this year, and drones and drought together are 'closing in' on Sudan's children.
Update history
No silent edits. Every change is written here, with its time.
- Latest
Published in Checking state — UNICEF's figures are on the record, and who carried out the power-station strikes, and either side's response, are still awaited.