A drone strike carried out by paramilitary forces on a nursery in southern Sudan has resulted in the deaths of at least 50 people, more than half of whom were children. The attack, which represents a severe escalation in the country's two-year civil war, occurred in the town of Kalogi in South Kordofan state.
Multiple Strikes Target Civilians and Paramedics
According to the Sudan Doctors' Network, the initial assault on the nursery was followed by a "second unexpected attack" which deliberately targeted paramedics who had rushed to the scene to help the wounded. The rights group Emergency Lawyers reported that a third civilian site near the location of the first two attacks was also hit.
Communication blackouts in the region have made confirming the full scale of the casualties difficult, and the death toll is feared to be significantly higher. The attack on Saturday, 6 December 2025, is among the deadliest single incidents in recent months as the brutal conflict between the Sudanese military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has shifted towards the oil-rich Kordofan states.
International Law Violations and Condemnation
Emergency Lawyers has condemned the strikes as a "flagrant violation of international humanitarian law", citing the failure to protect civilians, children, and vital civilian infrastructure. UNICEF's representative for Sudan, Sheldon Yett, issued a stark rebuke, stating, "Killing children in their school is a horrific violation of children's rights. Children should never pay the price of conflict." The UN agency has urgently called on both warring parties to cease attacks immediately and allow safe humanitarian access.
The violence in Kalogi follows a pattern of atrocities documented since the RSF's violent takeover of Al Fashir in Darfur, which was marked by executions, rape, and sexual assault. While thousands escaped that violence, many more remain trapped or are feared dead.
Escalating Conflict and Regional Impact
The broader conflict, which erupted in 2023, has already claimed over 40,000 lives according to the World Health Organisation, with the true figure believed to be much higher. A staggering 12 million people have been displaced from their homes. The recent focus on Kordofan has led to hundreds of civilian deaths in recent weeks.
In a separate incident last weekend, Sudanese military aerial strikes in South Kordofan killed at least 48 people, most of them civilians. The RSF has also accused the military of carrying out a drone strike on the border with Chad, though this has not been independently verified. The RSF claims to have captured the town of Babanusa in West Kordofan, further consolidating its grip on the resource-rich region.
As the fighting intensifies, humanitarian organisations warn that Sudan has become the epicentre of global suffering, with a desperate need for a sustained ceasefire and unimpeded aid delivery to prevent further catastrophic loss of life.
