Drone strikes on Sudan power stations leave children without water and care
UNICEF says up to 15 power stations were hit in October, and the planting window for the 2026–27 cereal harvest has largely closed.
Armed drones struck Sudan’s power stations almost every day in the final week of October, with up to 15 hit during the month. James Elder, UNICEF’s Senior Adviser and Spokesperson in Geneva, told journalists the attacks, combined with drought, have cut children off from water, schooling and essential healthcare.
Elder, who had just returned from Sudan, said that when a power station is struck, water pumps and water treatment stop, and families turn to costly, unsafe alternatives. Cold storage needed to keep vaccines and medicines usable is also at risk. He said two in three child casualties in Sudan this year were caused by armed drones.
He estimated that about 825,000 children under five would suffer severe acute malnutrition in 2026, a form of the condition that kills. Elder said the rains could arrive late but would not undo the damage already done to the season.
Why it mattersFamilies whose power and water supply has been cut must pay for costly, unsafe alternatives, and an estimated 825,000 children under five face severe acute malnutrition this year.