At least 330 children were killed or injured across Sudan during the first six months of 2026 as the country’s conflict intensified, with the western Darfur region and Kordofan states recording the highest number of child casualties, UNICEF said on Monday.
The U.N. children’s agency said the situation in and around Al Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan State, had become particularly alarming.
Since May, drone strikes and other attacks have caused more than 35 child casualties in North Kordofan, including at least 18 children killed and more than 17 injured, UNICEF said. The victims ranged in age from two months to 17 years.
According to the agency, drone attacks accounted for about 60% of the reported child casualties in the state, underscoring the growing impact of the weapon on civilians.
UNICEF said repeated drone strikes and shelling had also damaged homes, schools, health facilities, water systems and markets, disrupted supply routes and further strained already limited essential services.
The agency estimated that around 500,000 civilians in and around Al Obeid and across North Kordofan were at risk, warning that any further escalation could expose more children to death, injury, displacement and other protection risks.
“Children are being caught in a relentless cycle of violence, displacement and deprivation,” Sheldon Yett, UNICEF’s representative in Sudan, said in a statement.
“For many children, there is no safe place left. They are being killed and injured in their homes, on the roads, in markets, and while attempting to access essential services such as education and healthcare. Children must never be a target. Their lives, rights and futures must be protected,” he added.
UNICEF said the continued attacks had also heightened fear, anxiety and trauma among children, particularly in communities repeatedly affected by bombardment and displacement.
Beyond the immediate threat of death and injury, the agency said children remain at risk of grave violations, including recruitment by armed groups, abduction, sexual violence, and attacks on schools and hospitals.
UNICEF called on all parties to the conflict to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure, ensure safe, rapid and unimpeded humanitarian access, and take all possible measures to safeguard children from harm.
Sudan descended into civil war in April 2023 following a power struggle between the SAF and the RSF. The conflict has killed tens of thousands of people, displaced more than 12 million and triggered what the United Nations describes as one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. Both sides have been accused of committing serious human rights abuses, allegations they have repeatedly denied.
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