Power Stations Under Fire: Sudan's Children Face Hunger, Disease and Displacement

During the final week of October 2026, Sudan experienced daily armed drone attacks on power stations, with UNICEF reporting that as many as 15 facilities were hit throughout the month.

Children across Sudan are facing an increasingly dangerous humanitarian crisis as repeated drone attacks on electricity facilities and worsening drought threaten access to clean water, nutritious food, healthcare and education. UNICEF has warned that the destruction of essential infrastructure is creating life-threatening conditions for families already struggling with displacement, hunger and the devastating consequences of more than three years of conflict. The combination of armed violence and failing rains is placing enormous pressure on communities, leaving thousands of vulnerable children exposed to disease, malnutrition and further displacement.

During the final week of October 2026, Sudan experienced daily armed drone attacks on power stations, with UNICEF reporting that as many as 15 facilities were hit throughout the month. These attacks spread across different locations in rapid succession, damaging civilian infrastructure that communities depend on for drinking water, medical services, farming activities and everyday survival. Electricity disruptions have become particularly dangerous because many water pumping stations, treatment facilities and irrigation systems cannot function without reliable power supplies.

Sudan's agricultural crisis is becoming equally alarming as drought conditions disrupt farming activities during an already difficult growing season, increasing concerns about future food shortages. Amid global warnings about El Niño, UNICEF reported that the planting window for the 2026–27 cereal harvest had largely closed, meaning rainfall arriving later would not reverse the damage already suffered by farmers. The agency estimates that 825,000 children younger than five could experience severe acute malnutrition during 2026, placing their lives at serious risk without timely nutrition treatment and essential healthcare.

Drone Attacks on Power Stations Threaten Water and Food Supplies

Electricity is essential to Sudan's water supply because pumping and treatment facilities rely on power to deliver safe drinking water to communities already experiencing severe humanitarian difficulties. When power stations are damaged, families may be forced to purchase expensive water or collect supplies from unsafe sources, increasing their exposure to waterborne diseases and other serious health problems. UNICEF has reported renewed pockets of cholera in difficult-to-reach communities, including areas hosting internally displaced families who have limited access to medical treatment and reliable sanitation services.

Power disruptions also threaten the refrigeration systems needed to preserve vaccines and medicines, putting essential healthcare services under greater pressure during a period of widespread displacement and disease. Farmers are struggling to operate irrigation pumps because of electricity interruptions and severe fuel shortages, making it increasingly difficult to protect crops and maintain agricultural production. Falling harvests and rising food prices are creating a dangerous cycle in which families lose purchasing power, nutritious meals become harder to afford and children face greater risks of malnutrition.

Children Lose Safety, Education and Their Childhood to Armed Drones

Armed drones are causing devastating harm to Sudanese children, with UNICEF reporting that two out of every three child casualties during 2026 were caused by these weapons. Attacks are reaching communities that were previously considered relatively safe, making it increasingly difficult for families to protect their children or maintain access to education and basic services. For many displaced children, the search for safety has become a daily struggle as violence threatens the places where they live, learn and receive humanitarian assistance.

During a recent visit to displacement camps, a UNICEF representative met children living with permanent injuries caused by explosions, including a teenager named Burie who lost both hands during the conflict. Living in a tent, Burie continues his education through online learning in the mornings and spends his afternoons collecting grass for animals, relying on friends who help him manage everyday activities. His determination reflects the strength of Sudanese children and communities who continue supporting one another despite injuries, displacement and the constant uncertainty created by war.

UNICEF Calls for Urgent Protection and Greater Humanitarian Funding

UNICEF and its humanitarian partners have continued delivering lifesaving assistance across Sudan, working closely with communities to treat hundreds of thousands of children suffering from severe acute malnutrition. Their response has helped more than 2.5 million people access healthcare and supported vaccination campaigns reaching millions of children against dangerous diseases. Humanitarian teams have repaired water facilities and installed solar-powered systems to maintain safe water supplies for nearly 8 million people, helping communities reduce their dependence on damaged electricity infrastructure.

Education and child protection services remain important parts of the humanitarian response, with UNICEF helping millions of children return to learning despite widespread disruption caused by the conflict. Around 1.5 million children and family members have received protection services, mental health assistance and psychosocial support designed to help them cope with violence, displacement and traumatic experiences. These efforts face serious financial limitations because UNICEF's Sudan humanitarian response is only one-third funded, placing the continued delivery of essential services under growing pressure.

UNICEF is demanding an end to violence against children and attacks targeting power stations, water facilities and other civilian infrastructure that communities depend on for survival. The agency is also calling for safe humanitarian access across conflict lines, stronger protection for civilians and action by those with influence to stop weapons from reaching those responsible for killing and injuring children. Sustained and flexible international funding is urgently needed to maintain clean water supplies, malnutrition treatment, healthcare, education and child protection services before more families lose access to the support keeping them alive.