Dozens Killed After Drone Strikes Hit Kindergarten and Hospital in Sudan, Local Official Reports

A devastating paramilitary drone attack on the army held town of Kalogi in Sudan’s South Kordofan state has left dozens of civilians dead, according to a local official who spoke with AFP on Sunday. The attack, carried out on Thursday, targeted a kindergarten and a hospital, striking the town in three separate waves. Essam al Din al Sayed, head of the Kalogi administrative unit, said the strikes hit “first a kindergarten, then a hospital, and a third time as people tried to rescue the children.” He communicated the details via a Starlink connection due to poor network access in the region.

RSF and Allied Faction Accused of Orchestrating the Deadly Strikes

Al Sayed blamed the attack on the Rapid Support Forces, RSF, and their allies from the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement North, the faction led by Abdelaziz al Hilu. Since April 2023, the Sudanese army and the RSF have been locked in a brutal conflict that has killed tens of thousands and displaced nearly 12 million people. Communication blackouts, restricted access, and ongoing insecurity in Kordofan continue to make independent verification extremely difficult.

Dozens of Children Among the Dead, UNICEF Condemns the Attack

The UN children’s agency reported that more than 10 children between the ages of five and seven were killed in the kindergarten strike. Meanwhile, Sudan’s army aligned foreign ministry put the total death toll at 79, including 43 children. UNICEF Representative for Sudan, Sheldon Yett, condemned the attack as “a horrific violation of children’s rights,” urging all parties to stop targeting civilians and to allow humanitarian access to affected communities.

Growing Displacement as Violence Escalates Across Kordofan

The attack comes amid escalating paramilitary advances across the oil rich Kordofan region, which is divided into three states. Following the RSF’s late October capture of El Fasher, the army’s last stronghold in western Sudan, paramilitary forces have pushed further east. Their offensive aims to weaken what analysts describe as the army’s final defensive arc around central Sudan and possibly pave the way for attempts to recapture major cities, including the capital, Khartoum.

Humanitarian Crisis Worsens as Tens of Thousands Flee

According to the United Nations, more than 40,000 people have fled the Kordofan region in the past month alone due to nonstop violence and insecurity. Aid groups warn that the humanitarian situation is deteriorating rapidly, with limited access to food, medical care, and safe shelter. As the conflict intensifies, concerns continue to grow over civilian safety, particularly children who remain at the highest risk during this prolonged crisis.