Sudan War Escalates with Drone Strikes and Sexual Violence

Sudan is experiencing escalating violence as the war between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) approaches its fourth year. Recent drone strikes have targeted civilian areas, resulting in significant casualties.

According to The Guardian, a drone strike hit a market in Saraf Omra, North Darfur state, killing 22 people, including an infant, and injuring 17 more. The attack involved a parked oil truck that caught fire along with part of the market. Another drone strike targeted a truck carrying civilians on a highway in army-controlled North Kordofan, killing six people and wounding ten others.

The conflict has also seen widespread sexual violence used as a weapon of war. Medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF), known by its French initials MSF, detailed accounts of women who were gang-raped in the South Darfur and North Darfur regions. According to Al Jazeera, at least 3,396 survivors of sexual violence sought treatment at their facilities between January 2024 and November 2025.

The war has displaced more than 11.6 million people out of a population of about 51 million, creating what aid organizations describe as the world's worst humanitarian crisis. Estimates of the number of people killed in the civil war range from tens of thousands to more than 400,000.

The United Nations has reported an increase in civilian deaths due to drone strikes this year, particularly in the Kordofan region. More than 500 civilians were killed by drones between January and mid-March. The ongoing violence and humanitarian crisis highlight the urgent need for international intervention and accountability.