Sudan Massacre in North Kordofan Kills Over 450 Civilians, Including Dozens of Children

In a harrowing episode that has further deepened the humanitarian crisis in Sudan, more than 450 civilians were reportedly killed over the weekend in a series of coordinated attacks on communities near Bara city, including the villages of Shag Alnom and Hilat Hamid, in North Kordofan State. The victims included at least 24 boys, 11 girls, and two pregnant women, with dozens more injured and an unknown number still missing, raising fears that the death toll could rise significantly in the coming days.

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) issued a forceful condemnation of the attacks, calling them a horrifying escalation of violence and a gross violation of international humanitarian law. “These attacks are an outrage,” a UNICEF spokesperson said. “They reflect a complete disregard for human life, the rules of war, and the very essence of humanity.”

Targeting of Civilians and Children Marks Terrifying New Phase in Conflict

This latest atrocity is among the worst mass killings of civilians in Sudan since fighting erupted between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in April 2023. Eyewitnesses described heavily armed fighters storming rural villages, setting homes ablaze, and opening fire indiscriminately on residents trying to flee.

Children have borne the brunt of the violence. Survivors recount entire families being wiped out, and young boys and girls trapped inside burning homes. According to initial field reports, some victims were killed while sheltering in schools and mosques—spaces that should be safe even in times of war.

“No child should ever experience such horrors,” UNICEF stated. “Violence against children is unconscionable and must end now.”

Systemic Violations and Humanitarian Law in Question

The attacks violate several core principles of international humanitarian law:

• Distinction, which requires parties to a conflict to distinguish between combatants and civilians

• Proportionality, which prohibits attacks expected to cause excessive civilian harm relative to military advantage

• Precaution, which demands all feasible steps be taken to minimize civilian harm

UNICEF and other rights organizations are calling for independent investigations into the massacre, emphasizing the need to hold perpetrators accountable. “Impunity must not be allowed to prevail, especially when children’s lives are being destroyed,” the UNICEF spokesperson added.

Ongoing Crisis: Escalation Amidst Widening Conflict

The killings in North Kordofan come amid an alarming intensification of the Sudanese civil war, which has displaced over 8.5 million people and plunged large parts of the country into famine-like conditions. The region around Bara, once relatively insulated from the worst of the fighting, now appears to be the latest front in a war that has expanded beyond its initial urban centers.

Humanitarian access remains severely restricted. Aid agencies report blocked roads, communications blackouts, and looting of relief supplies. Hospitals near the attack sites are overwhelmed and running dangerously low on medical supplies. Many survivors have had to travel on foot for days to reach safer areas.

Urgent International Response Needed

UNICEF is calling on all warring parties in Sudan to:

• Immediately cease hostilities in affected areas

• Allow unhindered access for humanitarian relief teams

• Protect civilians, particularly children, in accordance with international law

• Facilitate independent investigations into the attacks and prosecute those responsible

The organization also reiterated its call to the international community to not let Sudan’s crisis fall off the global agenda. “These tragedies are not isolated incidents—they are part of a worsening pattern of violence that threatens an entire generation of Sudanese children,” said UNICEF.

A Nation on the Brink

Sudan is teetering on the edge of collapse. With violence escalating across multiple states—including Darfur, Khartoum, and now North Kordofan—the prospects for peace grow ever more distant. Over 19 million children are currently out of school, and millions more face hunger, displacement, and psychological trauma.

UNICEF, along with its humanitarian partners, continues to operate in extremely dangerous conditions, providing emergency food, water, psychosocial care, and child protection services. But without a political resolution and a clear cessation of violence, aid alone will not suffice.

Stop the War on Children

The massacre near Bara is not just a humanitarian tragedy—it is a moral indictment of a war that increasingly targets the most vulnerable. Children are not combatants. They are not political tools. They are human beings deserving of safety, dignity, and hope.

As calls for accountability mount, the world must recognize that protecting children in conflict is not optional—it is a legal and moral imperative. The time to act is now, before even more innocent lives are lost to a war that has already claimed far too many.