Sudan's Kordofan region sees fresh wave of displacement amid escalating violence
The UN's migration agency reports that more than 200,000 people have been displaced in Kordofan since late last year due to intensified fighting. Attacks on infrastructure in El Obeid have cut power and water supplies, while flooding in North Darfur has added to the crisis. The agency warns that Sudan's displacement situation is among the world's most severe.
The IOM's latest figures show displacement in Sheikan district, home to el-Obeid, has climbed by a quarter over the past eight months. The city's main power transformer has been repeatedly struck by drones, disabling the electricity that operates water pumps, hospitals, and telecommunications. El-Obeid's population has swelled from roughly 750,000 before the conflict to an estimated 3.4 million, with nearly 39,000 children arriving in just the first half of this year.
Additional displacement has been recorded elsewhere, including 78,000 people fleeing Blue Nile state and 18,000 more in West Darfur during early August. In North Darfur's Tawila area, heavy rains destroyed approximately 1,350 homes, forcing over 1,000 families from their shelters. The RSF maintains positions south and west of el-Obeid, continuing attacks on nearby villages and targeting army vehicles, oil tankers, and cargo trucks along supply routes.
This crisis could further destabilize an already fractured region, as displaced families arriving in el-Obeid strain resources in a city under siege. The loss of water and electricity may create secondary health emergencies, particularly for children and the elderly. Regional neighbors may face increased refugee flows, while the combination of conflict and flooding could deepen food insecurity across Kordofan and Darfur, potentially affecting humanitarian aid delivery for months to come.