UNICEF reports at least 12 children killed in recent attacks in Sudan

October 20, 2026 (KHARTOUM) – The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) announced on Tuesday the killing of at least 12 children, some as young as two, during recent attacks targeting the capital Khartoum and West Kordofan state.

The pace of drone attacks has rapidly escalated this month, encompassing Khartoum, White Nile, Gedaref, West Kordofan, and the Darfur region, in addition to the bombing of the Al-Naam market in the Abyei area.

UNICEF said in a statement that reports indicated the deaths occurred in two separate incidents in recent days.

On Saturday, Oct. 17, at least nine children, including five boys and four girls aged between five and 10, were killed in an attack on a camp for displaced families east of Sanakit, in West Kordofan state.

Two days later, on Monday, Oct. 19, an armed drone struck a residential area in Khartoum, reportedly killing three children, two girls and one boy aged between two and six, along with their father.

Drone strikes targeting civilian sites, including shelters, residential neighbourhoods, and service facilities, pose an increasing threat to civilian lives despite a decline in ground battles.

Across Sudan, children continue to face deadly violence after more than three years of conflict.

For families who have already endured displacement and immense hardship, even places of shelter offer no guarantee of safety.

“In West Kordofan, children were killed in a camp their families had fled to for safety,” said Angela Kearney, UNICEF acting representative in Sudan.

“In Khartoum, three young children were reportedly killed with their father in their own neighbourhood, in a city where many families have returned to rebuild their lives,” she added.

Kearney noted that families in Sudan are doing everything they can to keep their children safe, whether by fleeing or by going home.

“Neither is protecting them. Every party to this conflict must protect children, wherever they are,” she emphasized.

UNICEF called on all parties to the conflict to comply with their obligations under international humanitarian law and protect civilians and civilian infrastructure.

Children must be protected wherever they are, at all times, the agency concluded.