Drone warfare kills over 1,000 in Sudan in 2026 as strikes multiply: UN

What Happened

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk reported to the UN Human Rights Council on Monday that more than 1,000 civilians have been killed in drone strikes in Sudan during the first five months of 2026, citing a 'sharp' increase in drone warfare in the country’s civil war. Turk also noted 'rampant' levels of sexual violence, including rape. The conflict, which began in April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) commanded by Mohamed Hamdan 'Hemedti' Dagalo, has since expanded across Sudan, creating the world’s worst humanitarian and displacement crisis, according to the UN. The World Health Organization reports 13.6 million people displaced, over 20 million requiring health assistance, and 21 million in desperate need of food. War-tracking group ACLED has documented approximately 56,000 people killed overall, while other estimates range up to 150,000. The drone conflict has intensified: ACLED said Sudan’s war has transformed into a drone-dominated conflict, with both sides rapidly adapting tactics and even engaging in drone-on-drone combat. Turk warned that autonomous weapons cannot become a license for atrocity crimes.

Key Actors

Why It Matters

The sharp increase in drone warfare in Sudan, with over 1,000 civilian deaths in five months, signals an alarming escalation in tactics that worsen the world's largest displacement crisis and raise profound legal and ethical concerns about autonomous weapons. The UN’s attribution of mass civilian harm to drone strikes may intensify international pressure on both warring parties and their external backers, while also fueling debate on arms control in asymmetric conflicts.

Watch For

Expected follow-up from the UN Human Rights Council session; potential updates to ACLED’s drone incident data; International Criminal Court (ICC) investigations into mass atrocities, including drone strikes; and verification of ongoing civilian casualty figures as the conflict continues. Further displacement and famine declarations may compound the crisis.