A drone strike attributed to Sudan’s notorious paramilitary forces struck a gathering of displaced people along the Ethiopian border, killing 41, according to a rights group.

According to Emergency Lawyers, which monitors the war in the northeastern African nation, Friday's strike by the Rapid Support Forces hit the Abu Shandi area of Sudan's Blue Nile province.

According to the group, the fatalities comprised eight children and a considerable number of women.

A spokesperson for the RSF declined to respond to a request for comment.

The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said it was appalled by the reported strike, which also left dozens wounded.

“Condemning these senseless killings is essential, but there must also be accountability for this flagrant disregard for international humanitarian law,” said Denise Brown, the U.N. resident and humanitarian coordinator in Sudan, in a statement.

“As each day of this war passes, the world continues to accept the suffering of the people of Sudan.”

Sudan’s war erupted in April 2023, when tensions between the military and the RSF escalated into open hostilities in the capital, Khartoum, before spreading across the country.

According to the conflict monitor ACLED, the conflict has killed at least 59,000 people, though aid groups say the real number is likely higher.

It has forced more than 12.4 million people to flee their homes, according to U.N. figures, creating what aid groups describe as the world’s largest humanitarian crisis.

Across Sudan, 33.7 million people, including 17.3 million children, are in urgent need of aid this year, and an estimated 825,000 children face severe acute malnutrition.