At least 21 people have lost their lives and another 30 have been injured after a drone attack, supposedly carried out by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), against a well located in the Sudanese area of Tina, in North Darfur, very close to the border with Chad, in the context of the war that has ravaged the country since April 2023.
The Popular Resistance Committees of North Darfur stated in a statement disseminated on social media that a drone belonging to the paramilitary forces struck in Bin Andor, hitting directly "a pond for obtaining drinking water, a vital source for herders and citizens," with the RSF having not yet issued any comment on what happened.
"The bombing resulted in the martyrdom of 21 civilians and injuries to another 30, reflecting the magnitude of the tragedy behind this attack," they lamented, before emphasizing that the incident "is part of a series of attacks against civilian areas," which they described as "a flagrant violation of International Humanitarian Law."
In this regard, they stressed that "attacking sources of drinking water that the population depends on is not a military act, but a crime that exacerbates the suffering of civilians, in a new chapter of the violations suffered by the areas of Darfur," for which they demanded that the international community compel those responsible to "be held accountable."
At the same time, the representative of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) in Sudan, Sheldon Yett, denounced the death of six people, including two minors, in an attack carried out on July 20 against a market in Al Rahad, in North Kordofan state (central Sudan), the scene of a new offensive by the RSF.
"This latest attack is a stark reminder of the devastating impact that the conflict continues to have on childhood throughout Sudan," Yett stated, who emphasized that "markets are places where families gather to buy food, earn a living, and meet their basic needs." "They should never become places of death and destruction," he added.
The UNICEF official also warned that the recent uptick in fighting in El Obeid, the capital of the state, and in nearby towns is "deeply alarming," and recalled that the city "is part of a much broader crisis affecting childhood in Sudan," according to a statement released by the UN agency.
UNICEF REGRETS THAT "CHILDREN PAY THE HIGHEST PRICE"
Yett also emphasized that "the communities of Dilling and Kadugli, in South Kordofan, some parts of North Darfur and the areas affected by the growing crisis in Blue Nile continue to face severe insecurity, displacement, and increasing humanitarian needs."
For this reason, he lamented that "wherever the conflict spreads, children pay the highest price." "The repeated attacks not only take lives but also damage and destroy homes, schools, health centers, water systems, and markets, depriving children of medical care, education, nutrition, drinking water, and sanitation, and forcing more families to leave their homes," he explained.
"The attacks also intensify fear, exposure to traumatic events, and uncertainty for countless children and families," he added, before asserting that "the attacks and insecurity along critical supply routes disrupt the movement of humanitarian personnel and essential supplies, while the increase in operational risks limits access to some of the communities with the greatest needs."
"Every child killed or injured is a tragedy. UNICEF urges all parties to protect the civilian population and infrastructure, fulfill their obligations under International Humanitarian Law, and allow and facilitate safe, rapid, and unimpeded humanitarian access to the children and communities that need it most," he concluded.
In recent weeks, the United Nations and various international organizations have expressed their alarm over the situation around El Obeid and have warned of the risk of a repeat of what happened in October 2025 in El Fasher, when the RSF took control of the city after a year and a half siege and committed numerous crimes and massacres against the civilian population.
The conflict in Sudan erupted in April 2023 due to deep disagreements over the process of integrating the paramilitary group into the Armed Forces, which derailed the transition opened after the overthrow in 2019 of the regime of Omar Hasan al Bashir, already seriously damaged after the coup that forced the departure of then-Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok.