KHARTOUM / Adel Abdel Rahim / Anadolu

The United Nations children's agency UNICEF said Thursday that a drone attack targeted a market in the city of Al Rahd in Sudan's North Kordofan state, killing 6 people, including two children, and wounding 26 others, including 6 children.

In a statement, the agency added that the two deceased children were aged 6 and 14, while 6 other children were injured in the attack, along with more than 20 civilians.

This follows a drone attack on Monday targeting the main market and a neighboring neighborhood in Al Rahd city, located about 40 kilometers from the city of El Obeid in North Kordofan state, with local media saying the Rapid Support Forces carried it out.

UNICEF's representative in Sudan, Sheldon Yett, said the attack 'is a stark reminder of the horrific toll that the conflict continues to exact on children across Sudan.'

He added that markets are places where civilians go to secure their basic needs, and 'should never become places of death and destruction.'

He noted that the recent escalation in and around El Obeid has garnered international attention, but conditions in North Kordofan remain 'extremely concerning,' stressing that children in less media-covered areas remain at risk.

He warned that repeated attacks destroy homes, schools, health facilities, water networks, and markets, depriving children of basic services, and pushing more families to flee.

He pointed out that areas in Dilling and Kadugli in South Kordofan state, parts of North Darfur, and areas affected by the expanding conflict in Blue Nile state face deteriorating humanitarian conditions including insecurity, displacement, and rising humanitarian needs.

During the ongoing war in Sudan, authorities, international organizations and rights bodies have accused the Rapid Support Forces of targeting civilian facilities with drones, a charge the RSF usually does not comment on, saying it works to 'protect civilians.'

On July 6, the UN Human Rights Council decided to urgently investigate violations in El Obeid, warning of an imminent risk of widespread atrocities.

The UN had earlier warned on May 12 of the escalation of drone attacks in the Kordofan region, saying they killed at least 880 civilians between January and April.

The three states of the Kordofan region—North, West, and South—have witnessed clashes between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces since last October, while the war between the two sides has been ongoing since April 2023, leaving tens of thousands dead and nearly 13 million displaced.