Drone Strikes on Civilian Targets in Nuba Kill at least 116 People, 46 Children
“Children should never pay the price of conflict”
Read the full story from Al Jazeera
The Sudan Doctors Network reported 116 people, including 46 children, were killed by drone strikes against civilian targets that struck a hospital, a government building, and a kindergarten facility in Kalogi – a locality inside the state of South Kordofan, Sudan.
A local Kalogi official told news sources the children were hit while attending pre-school.
The Sudan Doctors Network referred to the strikes as “deliberate suicide-drone attacks” specifically targeting civilian locations. A second follow-up strike killed civilians who had gathered in the area to provide assistance.
The death toll may be higher than reported due to communication blackouts that make it difficult to confirm the number of casualties, and the challenge of getting medical aid in to reach the wounded.
The number of displaced now passes the 14 million mark and the UN reports a staggering 30 million people in need of humanitarian aid. This represents an unprecedented number of people needing humanitarian assistance at one time in the global arena.
The war has been characterized by blatant violations of human rights and alleged crimes against humanity by both sides, a concern which continues to escalate. “Killing children in their school is a horrific violation of children’s rights,” said Sheldon Yett, UNICEF representative for Sudan, in a statement on Friday. Yett urged all parties to “stop these attacks immediately and allow safe, unhindered access for humanitarian assistance to reach those in desperate need.”
Survivors reported civilians were held at gunpoint and no men were allowed to leave el-Fasher. One young woman who escaped with her pregnant sister reported being stopped along the way when her sister went into labor. Her sister lied and said the newborn was a girl, but fighters put the baby to death upon discovering he was male. The young woman said her sister died then and there from the trauma of her horrific ordeal.
Sudan Relief Fund continues to ship emergency food and medicine to South Kordofan and the Nuba Mountains to aid refugee families suffering from widespread famine and cholera. While the region has been largely outside the war zone, concerns over the threat of danger escalate as fighting spreads into South Kordofan, placing it closer to Mother of Mercy Hospital and its staff led by Dr. Tom Catena. If you would like to help the hospital’s lifesaving work at this crucial time and aid desperate refugee families, you can send help today.
