Sudan Attacks Reportedly Kill at Least 12 Children in Camp and Khartoum Neighbourhood

Angela Kearney, UNICEF’s Acting Representative in Sudan, said the children had been killed in a camp their families had fled to for protection.

At least 12 children, some just two years old, were reportedly killed in two separate incidents in Sudan, with families caught in violence both at a camp for displaced people and in a residential neighbourhood in the capital.

The incidents in West Kordofan and Khartoum took place two days apart, exposing the danger facing families who have fled their homes and those trying to rebuild their lives after returning. UNICEF has called on every party to the conflict to protect children wherever they are.

Nine children killed at a camp for displaced families

On Saturday, 17 October, an attack on a camp east of Sanakit in West Kordofan State reportedly killed at least nine children: five boys and four girls, all aged between five and ten. Their families had gone to the camp seeking safety from a conflict that has already forced them to leave their homes. The attack brought deadly violence into the place where they had taken shelter, adding another loss to lives already marked by displacement and hardship.

Angela Kearney, UNICEF's Acting Representative in Sudan, said the children had been killed in a camp their families had fled to for protection.

Drone strike kills three young siblings and their father

On Monday, 19 October, an armed drone struck a residential area in Khartoum, reportedly killing two girls and a boy, aged between two and six, along with their father.

The strike hit a neighbourhood in a city where many families have returned to rebuild their lives. For parents weighing whether to leave or go home, the two incidents reflect how difficult it has become to find somewhere their children can be safe.

"Families in Sudan are doing everything they can to keep their children safe, whether by fleeing or by going home. Neither is protecting them," Kearney said. Her appeal placed responsibility directly on those fighting: "Every party to this conflict must protect children, wherever they are."

UNICEF calls for protection wherever children live

After more than three years of conflict, children across Sudan continue to face deadly violence, including in places where their families have sought shelter. The deaths in West Kordofan and Khartoum underline the insecurity facing households already carrying the strain of displacement and immense hardship. Reaching a camp or returning to a familiar neighbourhood offers no guarantee of protection.

UNICEF called on all parties to comply with their obligations under international humanitarian law and protect civilians and civilian infrastructure. Its message was clear: children must be protected wherever they are, at all times.