UN Commissioner warns: Sudan is on the brink of a new, more deadly phase

11 May 2026 (PEN) UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk warned that the conflict in Sudan is nearing a "new and more deadly phase," with the increasing use of armed drones and the widening scope of attacks targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure.

Turk said in a statement that drone strikes have become the leading cause of civilian deaths in Sudan, noting that his office’s Sudan team documented the killing of at least 880 civilians by these strikes between January and April of this year, representing more than 80 percent of all civilian deaths related to the conflict during that period.

The High Commissioner explained that the increased reliance on drones allows hostilities to continue as the rainy season approaches, which previously led to a decline in ground operations, warning that an escalation of fighting in the coming weeks could push violence into the central and eastern states, with deadly consequences for civilians in wide areas.

Turk called on the international community to act without delay and adopt strict measures to prevent the transfer of weapons, including advanced armed drones, to the parties to the conflict, stressing that attacks on civilians and civilian objects will worsen if they continue without accountability.

Most of the civilian deaths attributed to drone strikes in the first quarter of the year were recorded in the Kordofan region, with reports indicating that strikes targeting Al-Qouz in South Kordofan and areas near Al-Abyad in North Kordofan on May 8 resulted in the deaths of 26 civilians and injuries to others.

The statement noted that the parties to the conflict have repeatedly used drones against markets, health facilities, fuel depots and supply routes, exacerbating the suffering of civilians amid declining access to food, clean water and health care.

He noted that markets were subjected to at least 28 attacks resulting in civilian casualties, while health facilities were hit at least 12 times during four months.

Turk also warned that the use of drones by the Rapid Support Forces and the Sudanese Armed Forces has extended beyond Kordofan and Darfur to include the Blue Nile, the White Nile and Khartoum, noting that a strike on Khartoum International Airport on May 4 disrupted all flights.

He said the intensity of the recent attacks "shattered the relative calm" that had prevailed in Khartoum over the past months, and raised fears of a return to hostilities in the capital, at a time when increasing numbers of civilians have returned to it.

The High Commissioner warned that escalating violence would also disrupt the delivery of vital humanitarian aid, at a time when large areas of Sudan, including Kordofan, are facing an increasing risk of famine and acute food insecurity.

Turk called on all parties to the conflict to ensure the protection of civilians and their safe passage out of combat zones, to facilitate their voluntary and informed