Sudan: At least 18 children killed in wave of airborne attacks – Sudan

KHARTOUM, 21 October 2026 – At least 18 children are among hundreds of people reportedly killed in a wave of drone attacks and airstrikes across Sudan in the past week, said Save the Children.
According to the UN, at least 10 children were reportedly killed in drone attacks over the weekend, with a further three children reportedly killed on Monday in the capital Khartoum. On Thursday, five children from the same family were reportedly killed in North Kordofan in an airstrike, with their mother surviving with injuries.
Claire Henery, Save the Children’s Country Director in Sudan, said:
“The recent wave of drone attacks across Sudan is deeply worrying for children and families already living through one of the world's most severe humanitarian crises.
"Beyond the tragic loss of life, these attacks risk further disrupting hospitals, schools and other critical services, endangering children and families already struggling to survive the consequences of war.
“Drones are changing the reality of this conflict for children. With drone and aerial attacks increasingly reaching communities far from active front lines and striking with little warning, children and families can no longer feel safe even in areas previously considered less exposed to conflict. As children return to school, this growing threat adds to their fear and insecurity. Every child should be able to go to school and return home safely.”
Children should never have to live in fear of attack, whether at home, on their way to school, or while accessing healthcare, said Save the Children. The international community cannot look away as civilians continue to bear the brunt of this violence. All parties to the conflict must uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law, protect civilians, and end attacks that put children's lives and futures at risk. Sudan's children have already endured far too much loss, fear and disruption.
The ongoing conflict has caused the world’s largest displacement crisis, forcing about 11 million people from their homes, reducing access to farmland, damaging infrastructure and irrigation systems and causing shortages of seeds, fertilizers and equipment. Last week, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) warned that conflict, displacement and severe El Niño-induced drought are increasing the risk of famine in parts of Greater Darfur and Greater Kordofan.
Save the Children has worked in Sudan since 1983 and provides programming for children and families affected by conflict, displacement, extreme poverty and hunger.
Minahil* fled her home in Darfur with four of her children as the conflict engulfed the city travelling across the country before finding safety 1000km away in River Nile province where she is being supported by Save the Children. Simon Edmunds / Save the Children
The new arrivals are now part of more than 605,000 people living in El Obeid town and Sheikan locality, who have come seeking safety but are facing new challenges in accessing health, water, education and protection services within the city.
A displacement camp in River Nile province where families who have fled conflict in Sudan are being supported by Save the Children Simon Edmunds / Save the Children
More than 5,500 children are among the 11,000 people newly displaced in the wake of escalating violence in and around the city of El Obeid in North Kordofan, Sudan, with thousands more at risk.
Children should be protected before recruitment begins.Across conflict-affected communities, children face risks that can fundamentally change the course of their lives. Poverty, insecurity, displacement, disrupted education, family separation and limited opportunities can leave children increasingly vulnerable to recruitment and use by armed forces and armed groups.A new research publication, Preventing the Recruitment and Use of Children: An Analysis of the Barriers to Implementing Select Vancouver Principles in South Sudan and Somalia, examines these challenges and asks an important question: What will it take to prevent children from being recruited in the first place?The study looks at the implementation of selected Vancouver Principles in South Sudan and Somalia, two countries where children continue to experience the devastating consequences of armed conflict.

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