A sharp increase in the use of drones to conduct airstrikes this year in Sudan underlines the devastating impact of high-tech and relatively cheap weapons in populated areas. According to information received, over 500 civilians were killed in such strikes from 1 January to 15 March.
The vast majority of these civilian deaths were documented in three states in the Kordofan region.
In the first two weeks of March alone, information received shows that over 277 civilians were killed, over three-quarters of whom were killed in drone strikes.
Such deadly attacks have continued in the past week, as the holy month of Ramadan came to a close.
In the deadliest attack, on 20 March, the first day of Eid al-Fitr, an air and drone strikes hit El Daein Teaching Hospital in East Darfur state, killing at least 64 people, including seven women and 13 children. One doctor was killed and eight health workers were among the at least 89 injured in the attack in an area controlled by the Rapid Support Forces. The hospital, including its emergency, maternity and paediatric units, are fully out of operation - further constraining desperately-needed access of many in the area to the right to health.
On same day in Ad Dabbah in Northern state -- an area controlled by the Sudanese Armed Forces -- drone attacks impacted civilian infrastructure, including an electricity substation and also an engineering college. Six people were reportedly killed, and power completely cut to the locality.
On the evening of 21 March, further drone strikes on a convoy of commercial transportation vehicles in El Daein reportedly killed 23 people, including women and children. In Al Dabbah, further drone strikes appear to have been intercepted.
Widening drone attacks are spilling across Sudan's borders, with serious risk of further escalation carrying regional consequences. There have been drone strikes on the town of Tina and Tiné on the Sudan-Chad border after earlier ground offensives by the RSF. On 16 March, around 20 people were killed, including civilians, and 60 other injured, during an RSF ground offensive on Tina, Sudan. And on 18 March, a drone attack hit Tiné, Chad, killing at least 24 civilians and injuring around 70 others.
Continued patterns of such attacks striking civilians and destroying civilian infrastructure raise serious concerns about compliance with international humanitarian law's fundamental principles of distinction, proportionality and precaution, and may amount to war crimes.
The UN Human Rights Office continues to document attacks on markets, energy and water infrastructure and health facilities. Health care facilities and health workers are specifically protected against attack.
We urge all States, particularly those with influence, to do all in their power to end arms transfers that are fuelling the conflict and being used in manifest disregard of the obligation to protect civilians in conflict.
We remind the parties to this conflict of their binding obligations to protect civilians. There needs to be renewed diplomatic efforts towards an urgent ceasefire to bring the conflict to an end.
