Sudan, childhood under drones: over 400 minors killed or injured in 2026

Sudan continues to be, for the youngest, one of the most dangerous places on the planet. According to data released by Unicef, more than 400 children killed or injured were reported in the country between January and September 2026, in a conflict that for months has struck with particular violence the regions of Darfur and Kordofan.

The latest documented episode dates back to October 26, when an attack with armed drones hit a market in Nyala, in southern Darfur. According to the United Nations agency, the attack killed at least five children aged between 7 and 14 and injured two others. A week earlier, on October 19, another drone raid against a market in Abyei had caused at least 80 deaths, including women and children, according to Unicef.

The repetition of attacks against markets, places that are crowded by definition and lack any declared military function, outlines a pattern that the organization has been flagging for months: civilian everyday life as a recurring target, not as collateral damage. Etleva Kadilli, Unicef regional director for Eastern and Southern Africa, summarized the situation stating that “even the most ordinary aspects of daily life are becoming increasingly dangerous” for Sudanese children.

The Sudanese conflict, which pits the regular army against the Rapid Support Forces, has now entered its fourth year without a credible negotiated solution on the horizon. The figures on affected minors, if confirmed over time by other sources, would place 2026 among the deadliest years for Sudanese children since the beginning of hostilities. It should be noted, however, that there is a limit to the available information: the news currently comes from a single source, a Unicef statement picked up by the AgenSIR agency; there is at present no independent confirmation of the overall data nor of the specific dynamics of the Nyala attack. International humanitarian organizations operate under very limited access conditions in conflict areas, a factor that makes on-the-ground verification by third parties difficult.

It remains a fact, however, that drone attacks against market areas have been repeated twice in two weeks, with a human toll that in the Abyei episode alone exceeded 80 victims. The frequency and nature of the targets hit — food supply sites, not military installations — are elements that any future independent verification will necessarily have to consider, together with the overall count of minors affected by the conflict over the course of the year.