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Sudan war: UN’s DiCarlo tells Security Council drones are now the leading cause of civilian deaths

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Update: TrendDesh reported the IPC famine-risk alert for Darfur and Kordofan on 13 Oct. This report covers the 16 Oct Security Council briefing.

The Sudan war shows no sign of easing, UN political and peacebuilding chief Rosemary DiCarlo told the Security Council on 16 October 2026, warning that drone attacks remain the leading cause of civilian casualties this year. “In each of my briefings to this Council on Sudan this year, I reported that the situation was deteriorating with no breakthrough on the horizon. Regrettably, today I can report that little has changed,” she said at the Council’s 10245th meeting.

Sudan war: Women and children collect water at a water point in an arid part of Sudan
Women and children collect water at a water point in an arid part of Sudan Photo: IOM via UN News (editorial use with credit).

Where the Sudan war is being fought now

DiCarlo said fighting has continued since her last briefing, most notably in North Kordofan, South Kordofan and Blue Nile states. Drone and air strikes put civilians at risk across the country, with deaths at a camp for displaced people in Blue Nile, an artisanal gold mine in Red Sea state and civilian sites in North Kordofan, including schools, a courthouse, a university dormitory and a shelter for displaced families. She condemned a drone strike on 3 October on two trucks contracted by the World Food Programme, which killed one driver. With weapons still flowing in and all sides recruiting fighters, she said, the risk of escalation remains high. Humanitarian operations have repeatedly come under attack, she said.

Key Facts

  • Briefing: 16 Oct 2026, 10245th Council meeting
  • Leading cause of civilian casualties in 2026: drone attacks
  • Acute hunger: 20 million; 200,000 at catastrophe level
  • Displaced in Tawila: 700,000+
  • Next: Sudan Consultative Group meeting in Geneva

Hunger, displacement and the arms embargo

UN News, summing up the crisis before the meeting, described Sudan as the world’s largest hunger and displacement emergency. It said 20 million people face acute hunger, about 200,000 of them at catastrophe levels, and that more than 700,000 displaced people in Tawila are short of food, water and health care. The UN arms embargo still applies only to Darfur, and related sanctions have been extended to 11 December, UN News said. DiCarlo also warned that the war is affecting Sudan’s neighbours and urged all actors to keep it from spilling across borders. “Preventing a wider regional crisis must remain our collective priority,” she said.

Drones, a humanitarian truce and the talks in Geneva

DiCarlo said the parties show no credible commitment to a negotiated pause and seem to believe they can gain more on the battlefield. She urged them to stop using drones or, at a minimum, agree on strict rules for their use. The UN is coordinating with the Quad on a humanitarian truce, and Personal Envoy Pekka Haavisto is working with both sides on prisoner releases and on a single national Grade 12 exam for all Sudanese students. A Sudan Consultative Group meeting in Geneva next week will bring together the Quad, the Quintet and other mediators, she said, ahead of the anniversary of the fall of El Fasher.

Why It Matters: Sudan's war has driven the world's largest hunger and displacement crisis, and the UN says limiting drone use is one of the quickest ways to save civilian lives.

Also on TrendDesh: Sudan famine risk grows in Darfur and Kordofan as drought deepens war crisis · Sudan Blue Nile drone strike kills at least 40, mostly women and girls

Source: UN DPPA: Remarks by USG DiCarlo to the Security Council on Sudan · UN Meetings Coverage SC/16481 · UN News live coverage, 16 Oct 2026

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