The drones did not just strike a classroom; they waited for the rescuers. In a horrific escalation of Sudan’s civil war, more than 100 people—including 63 children—were killed Thursday when drones bombarded a kindergarten in South Kordofan, then targeted the paramedics rushing the wounded to safety.

The World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed the massacre on Monday, revealing a death toll that has shocked even seasoned conflict monitors. The attack in the town of Kalogi left 114 dead and 35 injured, marking one of the deadliest single incidents against civilians since the conflict erupted in April 2023.

The "Double-Tap" Horror

According to WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the assault followed a chilling pattern. The initial strikes hit the kindergarten, causing mass casualties among toddlers and teachers. As parents and first responders frantically moved the injured to the nearby Kalogi Rural Hospital, the medical facility itself was struck at least three times.

“Disturbingly, paramedics and responders came under attack as they tried to move the injured from the kindergarten to the hospital,” Tedros noted on X (formerly Twitter). This tactic, often called a "double-tap" strike, is designed to maximize casualties among those trying to save lives.

• Location: Kalogi, South Kordofan State
• Casualties: 114 confirmed dead, 35 critically injured
• Victims: 63 children, plus teachers, parents, and medics
• Weaponry: Heavy weapons and drones (alleged)

War for Oil, Paid in Blood

This massacre is not an isolated tragedy but a signal that the war’s gravity is shifting. While fighting has raged in Khartoum and Darfur for over two years, the violence is now bleeding south into the resource-rich Kordofan region, closer to the South Sudan border.

Local official Essam al-Din al-Sayed told international agencies that the drones struck repeatedly as the community tried to rescue their children. Sudan’s Foreign Ministry has explicitly blamed the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) for the atrocity. The RSF, a paramilitary group battling the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), has not officially claimed responsibility but announced on the same day that it had seized the strategic Heglig oil field nearby.

For Kenya, the implications are stark. A destabilized Kordofan threatens to pour more refugees into an already strained region. The UN has launched a staggering $33 billion (approx. KES 4.3 trillion) aid appeal for 2026 to support millions displaced by such violence—a bill that the global community, including East African economies, will struggle to foot.

A System Under Siege

The attack on Kalogi Rural Hospital is part of a systematic dismantling of Sudan’s healthcare. The WHO’s surveillance system has documented 63 attacks on health care facilities in Sudan this year alone, resulting in over 1,600 deaths. When hospitals become targets, the death toll from treatable injuries skyrockets.

Survivors from Kalogi have been evacuated to Abu Jebaiha Hospital, but resources are critically low. Urgent calls have been issued for blood donations and trauma kits—supplies that are nearly impossible to transport through active combat zones.

“Sudanese have suffered far too much,” Tedros emphasized, calling for an immediate ceasefire. But with the capture of the Heglig oil field emboldening the RSF and the military digging in, the window for peace seems to be closing, leaving Sudan’s children in the crosshairs.