CAIRO (AP) A drone strike believed to be carried out by Sudan's Rapid Support Forces (RSF) targeted a gathering of displaced individuals along the border with Ethiopia, resulting in the deaths of 41 people, according to a human rights group, Emergency Lawyers. The attack occurred on Friday in the Abu Shandi area of Sudan's Blue Nile province.
Notably among the casualties were eight children and many women, highlighting the tragic impact of the conflict on vulnerable populations. The RSF, widely regarded as a notorious paramilitary group, has not responded to requests for comments regarding the attack.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs expressed strong condemnation of the reported drone strike, which also left dozens injured. Denise Brown, the U.N. resident and humanitarian coordinator in Sudan, emphasized the urgent need for accountability in a statement, indicating that these attacks demonstrate a blatant disregard for international humanitarian law. She remarked, “As each day goes by in this war, the world continues to accept the suffering of the people of Sudan.”
The war in Sudan erupted in April 2023 when long-standing tensions between the Sudanese military and the RSF escalated into open conflict, primarily in the capital city of Khartoum. Since the onset of hostilities, the conflict has reportedly claimed over 150,000 lives, according to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED), although aid organizations warn that the actual death toll may be significantly higher.
The violence has caused a staggering humanitarian crisis, displacing more than 12.4 million people within Sudan. This situation has been labeled as one of the world's largest humanitarian emergencies. According to U.N. assessments, approximately 33.7 million individuals in Sudan, including about 17.3 million children, are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance this year. Disturbingly, an estimated 825,000 children are at risk of severe acute malnutrition due to the ongoing conflict.
This escalating crisis underscores the dire humanitarian situation in Sudan, exacerbated by ongoing violence and the systematic targeting of civilians. The international community faces mounting pressure to act and address the human rights violations occurring in the region as the conflict continues to unfold.
