Drone Strike on Sudan Displacement Site Kills Dozens, UN Women Says

A drone strike on a displacement site in Sudan’s Blue Nile State killed and injured dozens of people, mostly women and children, prompting calls for an independent investigation as violence and displacement intensify across the country.

UN Women condemned Friday’s attack in Wad Al-Mahi, where large-scale displacement has been reported since late September amid escalating violence and an increase in drone strikes across Sudan.

The UN agency warned that the growing use of drones was exposing civilians, particularly women and girls, to greater risks of death, injury and further displacement.

Among those fleeing Wad Al-Mahi are pregnant women who have been forced to give birth along the way without medical assistance, UN Women said.

Displacement has heightened women’s and girls’ vulnerability to violence and exploitation while deepening poverty and restricting access to food, healthcare and other essential services.

Women are also bearing much of the burden of caring for children, older people and injured relatives while struggling to secure food, water and shelter under increasingly difficult conditions, the agency said.

UN Women called for an immediate end to attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure, stressing that international humanitarian law must be respected and violations investigated.

It joined calls for a prompt, independent and transparent investigation into the Wad Al-Mahi attack and urged that those responsible be held accountable.

The agency also called for an immediate cessation of hostilities and progress towards a sustainable and inclusive peace, saying the rights, needs and leadership of women and girls must remain central to humanitarian assistance, recovery and peacebuilding efforts.

Source: FSX Business News