UNICEF: 330 children killed or injured in Sudan during the first half of 2026

6 July 2026 (PEN) The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) said that children in Sudan are paying the highest price for an increasingly deadly war, with at least 330 children killed or injured during the first half of 2026, amid an unprecedented escalation of drone attacks in and around El Obeid.

The organization reported that the states of Darfur and Kordofan recorded the highest rates of casualties among children.

In North Kordofan alone, drone strikes and shelling since May 2026 have killed 18 children and injured at least 17 others, ranging in age from two months to 17 years, with drone attacks accounting for 60% of these casualties.

UNICEF's representative in Sudan, Sheldon Yate, said that children are caught in a relentless cycle of violence, displacement and deprivation, adding: "They are being killed and injured in their homes, on the roads, in the markets, and while trying to access education and health care. Children should never be a target."

The organization noted that the repeated attacks caused widespread damage to homes, schools, health facilities, water networks and markets, and disrupted supply routes, at a time when some 500,000 civilians face increasing danger in El Obeid and North Kordofan.

She explained that children not only face death and direct injury, but are also subjected to serious violations including recruitment, kidnapping, sexual violence, attacks on schools and hospitals, as well as psychological trauma from bombing and repeated displacement.

UNICEF called on all parties to the conflict to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure, allow safe, rapid and unhindered access for humanitarian aid, and take all possible measures to protect children from harm.