Drone strikes in Sudan killed over 1,000 people in five months, says UN

More than 1,000 people were killed in drone strikes in Sudan in the first five months of this year, the United Nations has revealed.

The war in Sudan has led to the world's largest humanitarian crisis, with some 34 million people - almost two thirds of the country - needing assistance.

UN high commissioner for human rights, Volker Turk, said his office had documented a "sharp increase" in drone warfare, registering the deaths of more than 1,000 civilians in strikes between January and May this year.

He told the Human Rights Council in Geneva: "In Sudan, the horrific conflict has expanded and escalated, marked by a sharp increase in the use of drone warfare."

The fighting has wrecked urban areas and has been marked by atrocities and war crimes, including mass rape and ethnically motivated killings, according to the UN and international rights groups.

"Rape and sexual violence are rampant," Mr Turk said.

Sudan's war broke out on 15 April 2023 when a power struggle between the military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces led to open fighting in the capital, Khartoum, and in other parts of the country.

The war has killed at least 59,000 people over three years, according to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project.

The true number of people killed was almost certainly higher given difficulties in reporting, the US-based war tracking group said.

Read more from Sky News:
Children and teachers killed in US strike on school identified
Health alerts issued as UK temperatures could reach 30C

The UK's minister for Africa and international development, Jenny Chapman, said: "Sudan's warring parties have increased their brutality from the skies, using drones supplied by their backers to target civilians and aid workers.

"This is deplorable and must stop."

She added that the latest UN update "underscores that this conflict is evolving" and said it was vital for organisations to "document abuses and preserve evidence - essential steps to breaking the cycle of impunity".

(c) Sky News 2026: Drone strikes in Sudan killed over 1,000 people in five months, says UN