Geneva: At least 1,000 civilians have been killed by drone strikes in Sudan during the first five months of 2026, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said today, warning of a sharp escalation in the use of unmanned aerial warfare.

According to Oman News Agency, Volker Trk told the Human Rights Council in Geneva that his office had documented a 'sharp increase' in drone attacks in the country's devastating conflict, which has widened and intensified.

The war has claimed at least 59,000 lives over three years, according to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project. The US-based monitoring organisation said the true toll is almost certainly higher because of difficulties in reporting deaths.