UN warns drone attacks have become leading cause of civilian death in Sudan

What the report says

The United Nations is warning that drone strikes have become the main cause of civilian deaths in Sudan, according to France 24 Africa’s report. The broadcaster said UN figures show drones were responsible for 80% of civilian casualties in the first four months of 2026, underscoring how the fighting has evolved in the country’s civil war.

Sudan has been at war since April 2023, when conflict broke out between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and the Sudanese military. France 24 Africa noted that the violence has already killed at least 59,000 people, citing Armed Conflict Location & Event Data, a conflict monitoring group. Aid organizations, however, say that toll is likely far too low and that the real number may be many times higher.

The report places the drone threat within the wider humanitarian collapse caused by the war, which has devastated civilians across the country. The emphasis on drone attacks points to a shift in battlefield tactics and highlights the growing danger to non-combatants in both urban and front-line areas.

The UN warning adds to international concern about Sudan’s conflict, which has produced mass displacement, acute aid needs and worsening insecurity. More broadly, the report reflects a conflict in which new technology is intensifying an already severe civilian toll.