Darfur is in the headlines again as deadly drone strikes, clashes, and civilian toll surge amid Sudan’s war and humanitarian crisis. Background: region in western Sudan, long besieged by conflict and displacement. #Darfur #SudanConflict
Recent fighting between Sudanese forces and RSF fighters has intensified along the Sudan-Chad border, resulting in casualties on both sides, including civilians. A drone strike killed at least 16 civilians in Mabrouka, while heavy clashes in El Tina have caused dozens of injuries and displacement. Chad has closed its border amid ongoing violence.
On March 20, 2026, a drone strike hit Al Deain Teaching Hospital in East Darfur, Sudan, killing 70 people including 13 children, two nurses, and a doctor. The attack injured 146 others and severely damaged the hospital, rendering it non-functional. This marks the 213th attack on healthcare facilities since Sudan's civil war began in April 2023, with over 2,000 fatalities reported.
A strike on Al Daein Teaching Hospital in East Darfur killed 70, including children and women, and injured 146. The attack rendered the hospital non-functional, worsening Sudan's ongoing humanitarian crisis. Both sides blame each other, with the military denying targeting the facility. The war has caused thousands of deaths and widespread displacement.
Recent reports detail widespread sexual violence in Sudan's Darfur region, with over 3,396 cases treated by MSF since 2024. Armed groups, especially RSF, use sexual violence as a weapon of war, targeting civilians during daily activities. The crisis continues with little accountability, exacerbating humanitarian suffering.
Libya has seen a significant easing of conflict, with recent agreements on a unified budget and joint military exercises involving forces from both the eastern Libyan National Army and the UN-recognized government. The exercises, supported by the US and Italy, mark a step toward military integration after years of division and conflict. Meanwhile, investigations reveal ongoing financial and military support networks linked to Haftar's forces, including illicit arms transfers and influence over Libya's economy. Satellite images also show new drone activity at Al Khadim airbase, indicating continued military developments.
A report by The Sentry links Libyan businessman Ahmed Gadalla to financing Haftar's failed offensive, supporting Russian mercenaries and illicit financial activities. Gadalla's influence has expanded across eastern Libya's financial system, with ongoing efforts to procure arms for Sudan amid regional instability. Western calls for sanctions grow.
UNICEF has issued its first Child Alert in 20 years for Darfur, saying children have been pushed into extreme hunger, disease, displacement and violence as fighting between Sudan's army and the RSF has intensified. The agency has warned that needs are larger than in 2005 and that international funding and access are dangerously low.
Women in Sudan continue to suffer sexual violence amid ongoing conflict. A young inventor has developed a protective device for women, while reports detail widespread atrocities by paramilitary forces. The conflict has displaced millions and worsened humanitarian conditions, with no immediate end in sight.
The UN and aid groups warn that more than 21 million people in Sudan face acute hunger after 1,000 days of conflict, with funding shortfalls risking the suspension of food and nutrition programmes and possibly famine in parts of the country.
The U.N.-backed IPC has reported that 19.5 million Sudanese—over 40% of the population—are facing acute hunger in 2026, with 135,000 in catastrophic (Phase 5) conditions and 825,000 children expected to suffer severe acute malnutrition. Fighting, drone strikes and disrupted supply routes are blocking aid and will worsen conditions during the July planting season.
The Sudanese conflict continues as RSF-aligned forces in Darfur and Kordofan are blamed for civilian harm, with new drone and village attacks worsening humanitarian conditions amid calls for ceasefire and restraint.
Kenya has opened a path to prosecute RSF members for crimes outside Sudan, filing a universal jurisdiction complaint. The case, led by LAW and ACJPS on behalf of 12 Sudanese victims, seeks investigations into 10 RSF members for abuses around Khartoum from 2023–2025. Kenya’s DPP faces a 30-day decision window that could anchor the country’s role in international justice.