GENEVA, Switzerland: The UN said on Friday it had documented more than 300 deaths from drone attacks in Sudan this month as it condemned the deadly escalation.
It called for the international community to bear down on the influx of drones into Sudan’s civil war, particularly those causing civilian harm.
“The increasing use of drones, already accounting for the majority of conflict-related civilian deaths in Sudan this year, is deeply disturbing and is exacting a horrifying toll,” UN rights chief Volker Turk said in a statement.
“Scores of civilians have been killed and vital infrastructure and services on which they depend eviscerated, driving further displacement and deepening the already severe humanitarian crisis.”
The war, which erupted in April 2023, has killed more than 200,000 people, aid workers estimate, displaced more than 13 million and created the world’s largest hunger and displacement crises.
In the first three weeks of October, the UN Human Rights Office said it had documented at least 306 deaths and hundreds of injuries resulting from strikes by drones.
The strikes hit civilian objects and infrastructure, including homes, markets, hospitals, displacement sites, as well as power stations and water sources, it said.
Turk urged the warring parties to respect their obligations under international humanitarian law, including by not targeting civilians.