Sudan’s war is entering a more dangerous phase, with new figures presented to the UN Human Rights Council showing a sharp deterioration in civilian protection, the expanding use of drones, mass displacement, acute hunger, sexual violence and enforced disappearance.
In a briefing in Geneva on June 15, Sudan’s Attorney General Intisar Ahmed Abdel Aal said the national investigation committee had documented 30,971 killings, 44,617 injuries, 2,200 rape cases, and 14,999 cases of detention and enforced disappearance since the outbreak of the war. The committee has also registered 149,860 criminal cases linked to wartime violations and crimes, completed investigations in 21,787 cases referred to national courts, and obtained rulings in 10,417 cases.
Sudanese authorities estimated economic losses at around $771 billion, citing widespread destruction of infrastructure, public institutions and essential services. Yet these figures remain partial. International estimates suggest the actual death toll may be significantly higher, as insecurity, access restrictions and the collapse of state institutions have severely limited documentation across several conflict zones.
One of the most alarming developments is the growing use of drones. UN officials said more than 1,000 civilians were killed in drone attacks between January and May 2026, accounting for around 80 percent of recorded civilian deaths during that period. The UN also documented 49 drone strikes over five months, including 16 attacks on health facilities and 33 attacks on markets, power and water infrastructure, and other civilian sites.
This marks a dangerous shift in the conflict. Drone warfare is pushing violence beyond conventional frontlines, hitting hospitals, markets, fuel stations, power facilities and areas hosting displaced families. The result is not only a rising civilian death toll, but also the systematic weakening of the infrastructure civilians depend on to survive.
Sexual violence remains one of the gravest dimensions of the war. In addition to the 2,200 rape cases documented by Sudan’s national committee, the UN has recorded 830 victims of conflict-related sexual violence across 16 of Sudan’s 18 states. The actual number is believed to be far higher because of stigma, fear of retaliation, limited access to medical care, and the breakdown of reporting and protection mechanisms. Reported patterns include rape, gang rape, sexual torture, sexual slavery and violence against women, girls, men and boys.
The crisis of detention and enforced disappearance is also expanding. Thousands of people are believed to be held in detention facilities lacking adequate food, water, healthcare and sanitation. According to figures presented by Sudanese authorities, around 20,000 people are being held at Dagris prison near Nyala, while 881 military prisoners and 407 civilians, including 113 children, are held at Shalla prison in El Fasher. These figures raise serious concerns over arbitrary detention, enforced disappearance, torture and the absence of judicial guarantees.
Humanitarian indicators show Sudan remains one of the world’s largest displacement and hunger crises. More than 11.4 million people have been forcibly displaced, including over 4.5 million who crossed borders or returned to their countries of origin since the war began. Inside Sudan, the International Organization for Migration has recorded around 8.806 million internally displaced people, alongside more than 4.44 million returnees across 74 localities in nine states. Children under the age of 18 make up more than half of displaced and returning populations, deepening the long-term impact of the war on education, protection and social stability.
Food insecurity is equally severe. Around 19.5 million people — more than 40 percent of Sudan’s population — are facing acute food insecurity. Fourteen areas in North Darfur, South Darfur and South Kordofan are at risk of famine, while around 135,000 people face catastrophic levels of hunger. An estimated 825,000 children are expected to suffer from severe acute malnutrition, as humanitarian access remains restricted and health services continue to collapse.
New displacement patterns also show that civilians are being uprooted not only by fighting, but by fires and deteriorating living conditions. Between January and May 2026, fires displaced 24,171 people — nearly four times the number recorded during the same period in 2025. In May alone, fires displaced 5,576 people, mainly in Darfur and Kordofan, where conflict, climate risks, weak services and limited humanitarian response increasingly overlap.
Taken together, the figures point to a deepening national catastrophe: an expanding war, collapsing civilian protection, rising drone attacks, mass detention, widespread sexual violence, acute hunger and one of the largest displacement crises in the world.
The figures underline a central reality: civilians are bearing the overwhelming cost of Sudan’s war. Without stronger international pressure to protect civilians, restore humanitarian access, document violations and pursue accountability, Sudan risks moving from a devastating conflict into a prolonged collapse of its social, economic and institutional foundations.
