The scale of last week’s tragedy in Sudan is now horrifyingly clear: 114 lives extinguished, including 63 children, victims of drone strikes in the Kordofan state. The attacks unfolded last Thursday in Kagoli, a community now reeling from unimaginable loss.
The first strike deliberately targeted a kindergarten, a place meant for laughter and learning. But the horror didn’t end there. Subsequent strikes ruthlessly targeted the very people rushing to help – paramedics transporting the wounded and the hospital itself, transforming a rescue mission into another scene of devastation.
Initial reports were hampered by critical communications outages, obscuring the full extent of the carnage. Now, the World Health Organization, led by Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus, has condemned these attacks as “senseless” and urgently calls for an end to the violence and increased humanitarian access.
Evidence points to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) as responsible for these strikes, according to groups meticulously documenting civilian casualties. Emergency Lawyers have labeled the attacks a blatant violation of international humanitarian law, specifically the protection of civilians and essential infrastructure.
This tragedy unfolds against the backdrop of a brutal two-year war between the RSF and the Sudanese military. The official death toll already exceeds 40,000, with 12 million displaced, but aid organizations fear the true number is far greater – a grim testament to the conflict’s relentless grip.
The fighting is now intensifying in the oil-rich Kordofan region, following the RSF’s capture of el-Fasher in Darfur. This victory, however, came at a terrible cost, marked by reports of executions, sexual violence, and widespread atrocities.
Over 100,000 people have already fled el-Fasher, seeking safety from the escalating violence. The UN Migration agency warns of a continuing exodus, as fear and desperation grip the region.
The UN human rights chief, Volker Turk, has issued a stark warning: Kordofan now faces the terrifying prospect of mirroring the atrocities witnessed in el-Fasher. The specter of further brutality looms large over a population already pushed to the brink.
Beyond the immediate violence, a silent killer is spreading – famine. Declared last month in Kadugli, the capital of South Kordofan, hunger is now ravaging the region. Dilling, also in South Kordofan, is reportedly experiencing the same desperate conditions, signaling a catastrophic humanitarian crisis.
More than two years of relentless war have shattered lives and livelihoods, leaving communities vulnerable and facing starvation. The situation in Kordofan is rapidly deteriorating, demanding immediate and sustained international attention.
