Drone strikes now account for nearly half of all violent incidents in Sudan, killing at least 15,000 people in aerial attacks over the past three years, as the country's humanitarian catastrophe accelerates with more than 12 million displaced and 20 million dependent on aid.
The conflict, which began in April 2023, has seen over 12,000 people flee Qeisan alone in Blue Nile state, while drone warfare has concentrated around the city of El Obeid, home to roughly half a million people including 100,000 displaced. The Rapid Support Forces deploy Chinese drones supplied via the United Arab Emirates, while the Sudanese military now relies primarily on Turkish Bayraktar drones.
Aid workers face severe constraints. WFP staff can distribute only half the required food rations to over three million people due to funding shortfalls, leaving recipients on 1,050 calories daily — half the standard 2,100-calorie ration. Germany has cut its humanitarian budget from over three billion euros in 2022 to just over one billion in 2026, while Sudan has become the second deadliest place for aid workers after Gaza.