A drone launched by Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces struck a gathering of displaced people near the Ethiopian border on Saturday, killing 41 individuals, including eight children, a rights group said.

The strike, carried out overnight, claimed 41 lives according to the rights group. Eight children were among the victims.

Eight children were among the victims.

The camp, set up on the fringe of a refugee settlement, was crowded with tents and makeshift shelters when the drone dropped a cluster of explosives. Shouts and screams erupted as the blast tore through the encampment, leaving a trail of rubble and smoke that could be seen from the nearby hills.

The Rapid Support Forces, a paramilitary group formed from the Janjaweed militia, have been embroiled in Sudan’s civil war since January 2023. They have repeatedly been accused of targeting civilian areas during the fighting, a pattern that has drawn condemnation from international observers.

In the last year, the Sudanese conflict has displaced over 4 million people, with many fleeing to neighbouring countries and to camps on the Ethiopian frontier. The strike added to a mounting toll that now includes thousands of deaths and widespread destruction of homes and infrastructure.

Humanitarian organisations have warned that the use of drones to hit civilian sites exacerbates the vulnerability of refugees. A spokesperson for the International Committee of the Red Cross said the attack “heightens the risk to civilians already living in precarious conditions.”

The United Nations has urged both sides to respect international humanitarian law and to protect civilians. A UN spokesperson said that the organisation would investigate the incident and seek accountability for the perpetrators.

Local authorities have not yet released an official death toll, but the rights group’s figure suggests a significant escalation in the violence that has plagued Sudan for the past three years. The next UN Security Council meeting will include a discussion of Sudan’s humanitarian situation and potential measures to curb the use of indiscriminate weapons.

As the conflict drags on, the international community faces the challenge of delivering aid while ensuring the safety of those who have already endured years of war.