UNICEF Condemns Attacks In North Kordofan State That Killed 35 Children

UNICEF condemned attacks in North Kordofan State in Sudan that killed 35 children, with Executive Director Catherine Russell saying the attacks “represent a terrifying escalation of violence and a total disregard for human life, international humanitarian law, and the most fundamental principles of humanity.”

UNICEF said the victims included at least 24 boys, 11 girls, and two pregnant women, and that the violence occurred this weekend in communities around the town of Bara, including the villages of Shag Alnom and Hilat Hamid.

Al Jazeera

UNICEF said more than 450 civilians have been killed in the recent “horrific attacks” in North Kordofan State, and that dozens more were injured and many remain missing.

The UN children’s agency said it fears the number of child victims could rise further as it urged all parties to immediately end the violence and respect obligations under international law.

UNICEF also warned that civilians—especially children—must never be targeted, and said “Impunity cannot be tolerated for violations of international law, especially when children's lives are at stake.”

As fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) continues since April 2023, UNICEF said the war has killed or wounded more than 300 children in the last six months, mostly from drone strikes, and that drone warfare caused 60% of casualties.

AP reported that the U.N., U.S., U.K., and others expressed alarm about potential atrocities as the RSF and the military fight for control of the strategic city of el-Obeid in North Kordofan.

Al Jazeera

In a separate UNICEF-focused report, UNICEF said “The situation in and around El-Obeid (the capital of North Kordofan), and more broadly across North Kordofan, is particularly alarming,” warning that since May strikes and other attacks have killed at least 18 children and injured 17 others in the state.

Al Jazeera reported that el-Obeid has been cut off by continuous drone attacks for months and that the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights warned of an impending humanitarian “catastrophe” as el-Obeid is expected to be the next site for major ground clashes between the RSF and Sudanese military.

UNICEF’s Sheldon Yett said, “Children are being caught in a relentless cycle of violence, displacement and deprivation,” and warned that for many children “there is no safe place left.”

UNICEF said the conflict has killed at least 59,000 people, displaced some 13 million, and pushed many parts of Sudan into famine, while more than 30 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance.

AP reported that drone strikes and shelling have targeted civilian infrastructure including schools, markets, fuel and water stations, putting over 500,000 people at risk, and that civilians in some areas have faced almost “siegelike conditions for over a year.”

Euronews said RSF razed multiple villages in the western regions of Sudan bordering Chad, and that more than 3,500 people were displaced on Friday from one village alone, Wadi Fungo in the Um Baru locality of North Darfur.

Euronews quoted Issa Ibrahim saying, “They sent artillery through homes, they burned to the ground and people died on the street with no one to bury them,” describing the evacuation of his wife and children across the border into Chad.

UNICEF warned that children 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, and said “Children must never be a target. Their lives, rights, and futures must be protected,” as it warned of a humanitarian catastrophe risk in and around el-Obeid.