At least 12 children reportedly killed in separate incidents in West Kordofan and Khartoum, Sudan

KHARTOUM, 20 October 2026 – At least 12 children, some as young as two, were reportedly killed in two separate incidents in Sudan's West Kordofan and Khartoum states in recent days.

On Saturday, 17 October, at least nine children – five boys and four girls, aged between five and ten – were killed in an attack on a camp for displaced families east of Sanakit, in West Kordofan State.

Two days later, on Monday, 19 October, an armed drone struck a residential area in Khartoum, reportedly killing three children – two girls and one boy aged between two and six – along with their father.

"In West Kordofan, children were killed in a camp their families had fled to for safety. In Khartoum, three young children were reportedly killed with their father in their own neighbourhood, in a city where many families have returned to rebuild their lives," said Angela Kearney, UNICEF Acting Representative in Sudan. "Families in Sudan are doing everything they can to keep their children safe, whether by fleeing or by going home. Neither is protecting them. Every party to this conflict must protect children, wherever they are."

Across Sudan, children continue to face deadly violence after more than three years of conflict. For families who have already endured displacement and immense hardship, even places of shelter offer no guarantee of safety.

UNICEF calls on all parties to the conflict to comply with their obligations under international humanitarian law and protect civilians and civilian infrastructure Children must be protected wherever they are, at all times.