Sudan Civil War Intensifies: Drone Strikes Hit Hospitals as Kordofan Violence Escalates

The Sudan civil war witnessed significant escalation in March 2026, particularly in the Kordofan and Blue Nile states. The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) forces launched drone campaigns that displaced nearly 2,000 people from Kurmuk, adding to what is already the world's largest displacement crisis.

Drone strikes indiscriminately targeted civilian infrastructure, including Dilling General Hospital, killing at least 4 patients and wounding dozens more. Markets, homes, and the University of Kordofan were also struck, demonstrating a pattern of attacks on civilian objects that human rights organizations say may constitute war crimes.

A power substation in El Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan, was hit in a targeted strike, causing widespread power outages affecting hundreds of thousands of people. The loss of electricity has crippled hospitals, water treatment facilities, and communication networks across the region.

Despite Sudanese Prime Minister Kamil Idris declaring 2026 the "Year of Peace," the reality on the ground tells a starkly different story. Fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the RSF shows no signs of abating, with both sides receiving external military support that has prolonged and intensified the conflict.

Over 740,000 refugees have fled to neighboring countries, while 185,000 internally displaced persons remain within Sudan's borders, often in areas with limited humanitarian access. The UN estimates that over 25 million people — roughly half of Sudan's population — are in need of humanitarian assistance.

International mediation efforts, including talks in Jeddah and Addis Ababa, have failed to produce a lasting ceasefire. The African Union has called for an arms embargo on all parties to the conflict, but the proposal has been blocked at the UN Security Council by countries with competing interests in the region.