Sudan Conflict: RSF Drone Attacks, Mass Displacement

A forest of white tents in Aldaba serves as a refuge for many Sudanese who fled El Fasher after the city in the Darfur region was stormed by militias in late October 2025. The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) reportedly massacred residents, though some managed to escape.

Escaping Violence and Trauma

Al Lima and her daughters traveled 750 km through militia-held territory from southern Sudan to seek protection. She recounted the horrific experience of her eldest daughter being raped in front of her eyes, emphasizing the brutality faced by women during the conflict. The camp in Aldaba is predominantly inhabited by women, children, and the elderly, as many young men have been killed, abducted, or forcibly recruited. These individuals are all victims of the war that began over three years ago between the Sudanese Army and the paramilitary RSF.

Fatya fled before the RSF seized control of El Fasher. The UN documented over 6,000 killings in the first three days of the offensive alone, with researchers and human rights activists now estimating the total death toll from the conquest to exceed 60,000. Fatya described constant artillery shelling, the collection of scattered remains, and a harrowing journey where they encountered armored vehicles, ran out of water, and suffered 18 deaths, including her three daughters and nephew. They resorted to drinking engine water mixed with cookies, and some, including her daughters, even drank their own urine.

A Generation of Orphans

The siege of El Fasher has created a generation of orphans. Thirteen-year-old Otto lost both her parents. She recounted how her mother was hit by a shell at the market and died in the hospital after morning prayers. Before her death, her mother instructed her to care for her little brother.

The Ongoing Conflict and its Impact

In 2023, the Sudanese army and the RSF militias, formerly allies, began fighting for control of the capital, Khartoum. Both sides, possessing significant military resources, have been accused of committing war crimes. This war has forced millions to flee, with hundreds of thousands estimated dead. People have been forced to bury their dead in homes and on streets due to RSF checkpoints blocking access.

Although the Sudanese armed forces have regained control of the capital, the war continues. At a stadium in Khartoum, 3,000 recruits took an oath of service to the Sudanese armed forces. However, UN experts and Western observers suggest that the RSF is receiving military support from the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The RSF has also brought parts of the strategically important region of Kordofan under their control, from where they could launch another advance on Khartoum.

Drone Attacks and Civilian Casualties

The RSF uses drones to strike trucks delivering supplies to Kordofan. These attacks are a daily occurrence in Al-Obeid, near the front lines. In January 2026, a drone attack in a village near Al-Obeid resulted in 52 deaths, mainly women and children. Villagers believe the attack occurred because the Sudanese army and its allies had stopped in an area belonging to the village. An army ambulance was targeted. Villagers showed remnants of a drone, likely supplied by the UAE, which allows the RSF to compete with the Sudanese military's air force, albeit with a high risk of mistakenly striking civilians.

Fighters from the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), allies of the army, were the likely real target of the drone. A month after the attack, victims with serious burns, like 38-year-old Safa, returned home from the hospital. Safa described the chaos and fire, and how she ran away after regaining consciousness. The attack aimed for a vehicle parked by a wall, while men stood on the other side. Many men in the village have had to learn to raise children alone, having lost wives and daughters. One man lost his wife and one-year-old daughter, while his son suffered broken legs.

Displacement and Child Labor

Villagers fleeing the combat zone have gathered at a former bus station in El Obeid, the largest city in North Kordofan. The city is protected by the Sudanese army but is surrounded by the RSF, with smoke in the distance indicating ongoing drone strikes. Like in Darfur, there is no safe way out for residents of Kordofan.

Khalum arrived six months ago with her two-year-old daughter, Fiha, who was healthy before fleeing but now no longer speaks and just lies there. Khalum described fleeing on foot, with children suffering swollen feet and some going blind. Khalum's husband, Muhammad, is penniless, forcing their children to work. Children get up early, work, and return home in the afternoon.

In addition to the city's half a million residents, over 100,000 internally displaced people in El Obeid are endangered by the RSF siege. Child refugees often work for starvation wages. Eleven-year-old Manal works for Samya, who also fled Darfur. Manal works constantly, with no access to school, earning meager wages. She washes dishes at a cafe, while her father works for a street vendor. At the end of the day, their combined earnings are minimal, often just enough for basic necessities like sugar and laundry soap.

Humanitarian Crisis and Resilience

Sudan is one of the poorest countries in the world. Cuts to US foreign aid have exacerbated the plight of a people already suffering from the world's worst humanitarian crisis. Wounded Sudanese, like Issa, who lost everything, must now pay for their medications. Issa, the sole survivor of an RSF massacre in a nearby village, was shot in the leg. He played dead after the RSF accused them of being soldiers, despite being civilians. He lay for two days with a bullet in his leg before being rescued by people from Bar.

Issa and his family left El Obeid, hoping to find protection in the capital, Khartoum. To reach Khartoum, they must again travel through areas targeted by RSF drones. An attack occurred just hours before their journey, hitting a truck and a taxi, leaving the taxi driver dead at the scene.

Almost a third of Sudan's population, approximately 14 million people, has been forced to flee their homes in the last three years. For Issa and his family, their arrival in Khartoum marks the end of a long journey and a reunion with family. They hope to explain the situation calmly to the children, who are currently scared but will find a new home and support with their aunt and the rest of the family in Khartoum.