Drone Massacres Schoolgirls — 17 Dead

Red emergency lights on dark floor, illuminating the area. — IMPORTANT NEWS ALERT

Paramilitary forces in Sudan launched a coordinated drone assault on schools and a hospital, killing dozens of civilians, including young schoolgirls, in a systematic campaign that reveals the brutal targeting of the most vulnerable during a civil war the world continues to ignore.

Story Snapshot

RSF drones struck multiple schools and a hospital in Sudan’s Kordofan region throughout February 2026, killing children and medical staff
Over 57 people killed in just two days of drone attacks, with medical facilities treating 167 shrapnel victims in two weeks
UN officials condemned the strikes as blatant violations of international humanitarian law while aid organizations were forced to suspend critical services
The attacks are part of a broader civil war that has displaced 13 million Sudanese and created the world’s worst hunger crisis

Systematic Targeting of Civilian Infrastructure

The Rapid Support Forces executed multiple drone strikes targeting civilian facilities across Sudan’s Kordofan states throughout February 2026. On February 11, RSF drones hit a Koranic school in El-Rahad, North Kordofan, killing two children and injuring twelve students.

Four days later on February 15, separate drone attacks struck Al-Mazmoum Hospital in Sennar state, killing three people and injuring seven including medical personnel, while additional strikes hit two primary schools in Dilling, South Kordofan. These coordinated attacks represent a pattern of deliberately targeting places where civilians seek education and medical care during wartime.

An explosive-laden drone blamed on Sudanese paramilitaries struck a secondary school and a health care center in southern Sudan, killing at least 17 people, mostly schoolgirls, a hospital official and a medical group said. https://t.co/g5QNHLqhI0

— The Associated Press (@AP) March 11, 2026

Deadly Two-Day Assault Claims Dozens

Between February 15 and 19, RSF drone campaigns intensified dramatically, killing at least 57 people in just two days according to UN human rights officials. Médecins Sans Frontières reported treating 167 patients with penetrating injuries from shrapnel and fractures during a two-week period in February.

The Sudan Doctors Network documented these strikes as a “blatant violation of international law” that deepened civilian suffering by deliberately depriving communities of essential healthcare and education.

The attacks forced humanitarian organizations to halt operations in affected areas, leaving vulnerable populations without access to life-saving medical services amid an already catastrophic shortage of healthcare infrastructure.

Background of Sudan’s Forgotten Civil War

Sudan’s civil war erupted in April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces, a paramilitary group that evolved from the Janjaweed militias previously accused of genocide in Darfur. The conflict originated from disputes over integrating the RSF into the national army following the 2019 ouster of dictator Omar al-Bashir.

Heavy fighting has concentrated in Kordofan states since October 2025, with RSF forces launching drone campaigns to encircle SAF-held positions in El-Obeid. The war has killed tens of thousands, displaced 13 million people, and triggered a global hunger crisis that receives minimal international attention despite its devastating humanitarian toll.

International Response and Accountability Concerns

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk expressed alarm at the “scores killed” in the February attacks, calling them violations of humanitarian law. The Sudan Doctors Network holds RSF leadership directly responsible for war crimes, demanding accountability for the systematic targeting of protected civilian sites.

US presidential adviser Massad Boulos stated a “zero tolerance” position on RSF attacks, while Saudi Arabia urged an immediate halt to RSF operations and called for curbing foreign arms supplies. The United Arab Emirates faces accusations of backing the RSF with weapons, though it denies these claims. Despite international condemnations, no ceasefires have materialized and aid convoys continue facing attacks.

Humanitarian Catastrophe Deepens

The February drone strikes destroyed critical infrastructure including hospitals and schools, denying essential care to populations already facing severe shortages. The World Health Organization warns of systemic health system collapse across Sudan, with displaced populations fleeing Kordofan in growing numbers.

Médecins Sans Frontières was forced to suspend services and withdraw personnel due to unsafe conditions created by repeated strikes on medical facilities. This pattern mirrors previous incidents, including November 2025 when RSF drones forced MSF’s complete withdrawal from North Darfur.

The attacks undermine billions in international aid while risking famine and disease outbreaks across a nation where humanitarian access remains severely restricted by ongoing combat operations.