Since Sunday, over 1,000 people have been newly displaced from Kadugli, the capital of South Kordofan, as well as the towns of Dilling and El Koaik. Many are seeking shelter in North and West Kordofan, Khartoum, and White Nile states. The ongoing fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has intensified, driving thousands more to flee their homes across the Kordofans.
Humanitarians report that people from West Kordofan towns such as Babanusa and Heglig have also arrived in White Nile state. On Tuesday, local authorities in the city of Kosti confirmed that around 1,600 people, mostly women and children, had arrived after often arduous journeys exceeding a week, with some crossing through neighbouring South Sudan. UN Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq noted that while basic shelter, food, water, sanitation, health, and protection assistance are being provided, needs continue to outstrip available resources. More than 3,000 people have recently crossed into Yida in South Sudan, with further displacement expected.
Displacement is also increasing in eastern Sudan. In Gedaref state, approximately 2,500 people from Kordofan and Darfur have arrived in the locality of Al Fao, with more anticipated in the coming days. In Northern state, over 15,000 people from Kordofan and Darfur are sheltering in Al Afad camp in Ad Dabbah. Despite scaled-up assistance, support for food security, livelihoods, and cash assistance remains critically underfunded.
Across Sudan, the scale of displacement is staggering. The UN migration agency, IOM, estimates that more than 9.3 million people are internally displaced across the country’s 18 states, alongside over three million returnees in nine states. More than half of these populations are children. Nearly one-third of displaced families and one-fifth of returnee households reported going a full day and night without food in the past month, while access to healthcare and sanitation remains severely limited. The World Health Organization (WHO) also reports that over 70 health workers and approximately 5,000 civilians have been forcibly detained in Nyala, South Darfur.
The UN continues to call for the protection of civilians and unimpeded humanitarian access. On Saturday, six Bangladeshi peacekeepers were killed in drone attacks on a UN logistics base in Kadugli, part of the UN force in Abyei, a disputed border region with South Sudan. UN human rights chief Volker Turk reported that at least 104 civilians have been killed in drone attacks across Kordofan since 4 December, including strikes on a kindergarten and a hospital, underscoring the urgent need for protection and aid delivery.
