At least 330 children were killed or injured across Sudan in the first six months of 2026, with Darfur and Kordofan states recording the highest child casualty counts, according to a new report by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). The findings paint a stark picture of a conflict in which children are increasingly bearing the cost of hostilities.

Drone Strikes Driving Child Casualties

According to the UNICEF report, since May 2026, drone strikes and other attacks have reportedly resulted in more than 35 child casualties in the state alone — including at least 18 children killed and more than 17 injured. The affected children ranged in age from just two months to 17 years.

Drone attacks accounted for 60 per cent of these casualties, according to the report, underscoring the growing toll of aerial warfare on civilian populations. Repeated drone strikes and shelling have also damaged homes, schools, health facilities, water systems, and markets, disrupting supply routes and placing essential services under severe strain.

North Kordofan: A Situation Described as 'Particularly Alarming'

The report singled out the situation in and around Al Obeid, across North Kordofan, as 'particularly alarming.' An estimated 500,000 civilians are at risk in the area, and UNICEF warned that any further deterioration could expose even more children to death, injury, displacement, and other grave protection risks.

This comes amid a broader pattern of conflict-driven displacement that has made Sudan one of the world's most acute humanitarian crises. The war, which erupted in April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces, has since displaced millions and decimated civilian infrastructure across multiple states.

What UNICEF Said

Sheldon Yett, UNICEF Representative for Sudan, said in the report: 'Children are being caught in a relentless cycle of violence, displacement and deprivation. For many children, there is no safe place left. They are being killed and injured in their homes, on the roads, in markets, and while attempting to access essential services such as education and healthcare. Children must never be a target. Their lives, rights and futures must be protected.'

The agency also highlighted that children face dangers beyond immediate physical harm. The conflict continues to expose them to grave violations including recruitment and use by armed groups, abduction, sexual violence, and deliberate attacks on schools and hospitals.

UNICEF's Demands on Conflict Parties

UNICEF called on all parties to the conflict to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure, allow and facilitate safe, rapid, and unimpeded humanitarian access, and take all possible measures to shield children from harm. The organisation has repeatedly flagged Sudan as one of the most dangerous places in the world for children, with conditions worsening through the first half of 2026.

With no ceasefire in sight and humanitarian corridors under pressure, child protection advocates warn the second half of the year could see casualty figures climb further unless access and accountability improve.