104 civilians killed in drone strikes in Sudan's Kordofan region since Dec. 4: UN

KHARTOUM, Dec. 16 (Xinhua) -- At least 104 civilians have been killed in drone attacks across Sudan's Kordofan region since Dec. 4, the United Nations said on Tuesday, expressing alarm at escalating hostilities between the country's warring factions.

"In one incident, a drone strike that hit a kindergarten and a hospital in Kalogi, South Kordofan, killed at least 89 civilians, including eight women and 43 children," UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said in a statement.

Turk urged all parties to the conflict, as well as states with influence, to push for an immediate ceasefire and to prevent further atrocities.

He also condemned the killing of six UN peacekeepers in drone strikes on a UN base in Kadugli, South Kordofan, on Saturday, warning that attacks on peacekeeping personnel could amount to a war crime.

On Sunday, a separate drone strike on a hospital in Dilling, South Kordofan, killed at least six people and wounded 12 others, including medical staff, Turk said, noting that medical facilities and personnel are protected under international humanitarian law.

The Kordofan region, which includes North, West, and South Kordofan states, has seen intensified fighting in recent weeks between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), displacing tens of thousands of people, according to the United Nations.

Sudan has been gripped by war since April 15, 2023, when fighting erupted between the SAF and the RSF, killing tens of thousands and forcing millions to flee within the country and across its borders. ■