Displaying items by tag: civilian casualties

Sudan’s war has entered a dangerous new phase, with fierce fighting erupting in the oil-rich Kordofan region. Control of Kordofan is strategic - it holds vital oil infrastructure and could shift the war’s trajectory. The army, led by Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, is attempting to push out the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), commanded by Gen Mohamed 'Hemedti' Dagalo, who once supported al-Burhan before a violent split in 2023. Airstrikes by the army have killed dozens of civilians in towns like el-Fula and Abu Zabad, drawing condemnation from the UN. Meanwhile, the RSF has also been accused of massacres, with over 450 civilians, including children, killed in recent attacks. The conflict, now in its third year, has displaced 12 million and claimed 150,000 lives. Analysts warn the RSF's local tribal support could give them the upper hand in parts of Kordofan. Both sides are now locked in a deadly struggle over the region’s towns, oil fields, and supply routes. Humanitarian agencies are calling for urgent international action to stop the bloodshed.

On 9 April Israel carried out an airstrike in northern Gaza, reportedly killing a senior Hamas commander, Haitham al-Sheikh. The IDF said the operation targeted a high-ranking terrorist and said there were multiple measures to minimise civilian casualties. However, Palestinian sources reported at least 23 killed, including women and children, though the numbers remain unverified. Local accounts described missiles striking a building near tents housing displaced families. Hamas condemned the strike as a ‘massacre’, while Palestinian Islamic Jihad also denounced the attack. Al-Sheikh is the third commander of the battalion killed since the war began in October 2023. His predecessors, Wisam Farhat and Jamil Amar Wadia, were also eliminated in IDF operations. Meanwhile, the World Food Programme is desperately short of funding for its aid programme in Gaza: see

The UN reported the number of Afghan civilians killed or hurt has sharply increased since the Western coalition began pulling out of the country. A total of 1,659 civilians were killed and 3,254 injured in the first half of 2021, a 47% increase from the same period in 2020. The actual numbers may be even higher, considering that the UN only records casualties it is able to verify independently. Out of those killed or maimed, 46% were women and children. The Taliban and other militants were responsible for 64% of civilian casualties, while 25% were attributed to pro-government forces and 11% to ‘crossfire’ between warring parties. An alarming trend of growing death toll since May reveals the highest number since the UN began keeping records in 2009. If this violence is not stemmed, an unprecedented number of civilians will perish or be maimed this year.