Rising civilian toll in South Kordofan as fighting intensifies, drone strike kills three at West Darfur hospital

At least 100 civilians have been killed in Delling, South Kordofan, since February, including 35 in early April alone, as heavy fighting and aerial bombardment intensify, a protection group of international organisations and UN agencies has reported. More than 25 people have also been injured in recent weeks, with indiscriminate shelling and air strikes repeatedly hitting residential areas without warning. The violence has placed over 50,000 civilians at severe risk.

Delling has become an active conflict zone despite remaining under Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) control. The city is effectively encircled and repeatedly attacked by paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and their allied force, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement North led by Abdelaziz El Hilu (SPLM-N). 

Around 37,000 residents and 14,000 displaced people are now trapped with limited access to food, healthcare, and aid.

The security situation remains highly volatile, with frequent drone strikes, shelling, and ground attacks. Humanitarian access is severely restricted, while key roads linking the city to surrounding areas are cut off, deepening isolation.

Ongoing violence has driven displacement within the city, with families sheltering in schools, mosques, and overcrowded homes. 

Services are collapsing: the main teaching hospital is out of service, only two facilities operate at limited capacity, and schools have closed.

Food, fuel, and medicine are in short supply, and prices have surged. Women and children face growing risks, including violence, exploitation, and child labour, while men and boys risk arbitrary arrest or abduction. 

Aid groups warn that travel is extremely dangerous due to shelling, drones, and insecurity on the roads.

The protection group has called for an immediate end to attacks on civilians, safe humanitarian access, and increased support for essential services.

‘Drone strike kills three in El Geneina’

In West Darfur’s capital of El Geneina, a drone strike hit the Sultan Medical Complex, killing three people and injuring at least one on Sunday, according to the RSF-led political bloc Tasees (Sudan Founding Alliance).

Sources said the strike directly targeted the medical facility, sparking fires inside the compound and causing significant damage to buildings and equipment.

Videos shared by activists showed flames rising from the site as emergency teams attempted to respond and assess the scale of destruction.

Tasees said casualty figures may rise as rescue operations continue. It condemned the attack as a war crime and a crime against humanity, stressing that medical facilities must be protected under international humanitarian law.

The strike comes amid a recent escalation in drone attacks by the SAF on areas controlled by the RSF in Darfur and Kordofan.

Observers warn that the increasing use of drones is contributing to higher civilian casualties and further destruction of already fragile infrastructure.

Tasees called on Sudanese civilian organisations, as well as regional and international actors, to take a firm stand against such violations and push for accountability.