Drone Strikes in Sudan Kill Dozens of Civilians, Including Children, in Devastating Kindergarten and Hospital Attack

A devastating drone attack on the army-held town of Kalogi in Sudan's South Kordofan state has left dozens of civilians dead, including children, in a brutal assault on a kindergarten and a hospital. The attack, which occurred on Thursday, involved three strikes, targeting the kindergarten, the hospital, and a third time as people attempted to rescue the children. According to Essam al-Din al-Sayed, head of the Kalogi administrative unit, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and their ally, the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North faction (SPLM-N), are responsible for the attack. The conflict between the army and the RSF has been ongoing since April 2023, resulting in tens of thousands of deaths and the displacement of nearly 12 million people. The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has confirmed that at least 10 children between the ages of five and seven were killed in the attack. The army-aligned foreign ministry has reported a total of 79 deaths, including 43 children. The UN has condemned the attack, with UNICEF Representative for Sudan Sheldon Yett stating, "Killing children in their school is a horrific violation of children's rights." The UN has also called for an end to the violence and the allowance of humanitarian aid. The RSF's push into the oil-rich Kordofan region has led to reports of mass killings, sexual violence, looting, and abductions. The UN Human Rights commissioner, Volker Turk, has expressed concern over the escalating violence, stating, "It is truly shocking to see history repeating itself in Kordofan so soon after the horrific events in El Fasher.