The civil war in Sudan has reached a grim new milestone, with near-daily drone strikes killing an estimated 700 civilians in the first months of 2026, according to the United Nations.
UN aid chief Tom Fletcher said on Tuesday that most of the deaths occurred between January and March, warning that the growing use of aerial drones has marked a dangerous escalation in a conflict now entering its fourth year. UNICEF also reported that nearly 250 children were killed or maimed in the same period—a 50% increase compared to last year.
A worsening humanitarian catastrophe
Fletcher said the international community has failed to respond effectively to the crisis, noting that “the world has failed to meet the test of Sudan.” The war, which began after a power struggle between Sudanese army chief Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan and Rapid Support Forces commander Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo following the 2019 removal of longtime ruler Omar al-Bashir, has now become one of the world’s largest humanitarian emergencies.
Drone warfare and mass civilian impact
The introduction of drones has reshaped the conflict, intensifying violence in regions such as South Kordofan and RSF-controlled areas of Darfur. In one of the deadliest episodes, at least 6,000 people were killed over three days in October during an RSF offensive in el-Fasher—an attack described by experts as bearing “the defining characteristics of genocide.”
The International Committee of the Red Cross says more than 11,000 people have been reported missing since the war began, with communication restrictions in parts of North Darfur making it harder for families and aid agencies to trace loved ones.
Massive displacement and regional strain
The conflict has triggered one of the largest displacement crises in the world. More than 11 million people have fled their homes, while an additional 13 million have been displaced multiple times due to shifting front lines.
Fletcher warned that the consequences are spilling beyond Sudan’s borders, raising the risk of wider regional instability across the Horn of Africa.
Hunger, disease, and collapsing services
Humanitarian conditions continue to deteriorate rapidly. Nearly 34 million people—about two-thirds of Sudan’s population—now require urgent assistance. More than 19 million face acute hunger, while severe acute malnutrition among children is expected to affect around 800,000.
The World Health Organization says only 63% of health facilities are still fully or partially operational, as outbreaks such as cholera spread. At the same time, millions of children remain out of school, and reports of sexual violence against women and girls continue to rise.
Funding shortfalls hampering aid response
Despite the scale of the crisis, international funding remains far below what is needed. UN officials say the $2.9 billion humanitarian appeal for this year is only about 16% funded, leaving relief operations severely constrained.
The World Food Programme says it urgently needs more than $600 million to sustain life-saving assistance over the next six months. Fletcher warned that without immediate funding and access, aid agencies will struggle to reach millions in need.
“An abandoned crisis”
UN officials say Sudan is increasingly being overlooked on the global stage. Denise Brown, the UN resident coordinator in Sudan, urged the international community not to ignore the crisis, describing it as “an abandoned crisis” rather than a forgotten one.
Meanwhile, rising global fuel prices—linked in part to wider geopolitical tensions—have further strained humanitarian logistics and delivery efforts.
A country divided by war
Sudan is now effectively split between rival administrations, with the army controlling the north, east, and central regions, while the RSF holds much of Darfur and parts of Kordofan. Analysts say the division has been deepened by alleged foreign involvement and competition over strategic resources such as oil and gold.
No end in sight
As the war enters its fourth year, UN officials warn that without urgent diplomatic intervention and a major boost in humanitarian funding, Sudan risks long-term state collapse with consequences that could destabilise the wider region for years to come.
Fletcher summed up the situation starkly, saying the anniversary marks “another year when the world has failed to meet the test of Sudan.”