Geneva, March 24 (SANA) The United Nations announced on Tuesday that more than 500 civilians have been killed by drone strikes in Sudan from the beginning of the year through mid-March. the report highlights a dangerous escalation in the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) within the country’s ongoing conflict.
Speaking in Geneva, Marta Hurtado, spokesperson for the UN Human Rights Office, told AFP that the significant surge in drone deployment this year underscores the “devastating and growing nature” of low-cost weaponry when utilized in densely populated areas.
Hurtado specified that at least 512 civilians were killed in such strikes between January 1 and March 15 of this year. She noted that the majority of these attacks were concentrated in the Kordofan region. The UN official emphasized that this escalation reflects the severe risks posed by modern military technologies in internal conflicts, particularly when precision is sacrificed in civilian-heavy zones.
The UN statement follows a bloody Monday in which at least 15 people were killed and dozens more wounded during a bombardment targeting the city of Lagawa in West Kordofan State.
The conflict between the Sudanese Army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which erupted in mid-April 2023, continues unabated. Despite international pressure, political efforts to reach a resolution remain stalled. The humanitarian crisis has reached catastrophic levels, resulting in tens of thousands of deaths, the displacement of millions, and the spread of famine across several provinces.
