Over 200,000 people newly displaced in Sudan’s Kordofan as fighting rages

What the report says

The United Nations says more than 200,000 people have been newly displaced across Sudan’s Kordofan region as fighting has intensified since late last year, deepening an already severe humanitarian crisis. The warning, reported by Al Jazeera from UN International Organization for Migration (IOM) updates, comes as drone attacks continue to hit water and electricity infrastructure in El Obeid, the largest city in the region.

Al Jazeera reported that repeated strikes on El Obeid’s power transformer have disrupted electricity needed for pumping water, operating hospitals and maintaining communications. The IOM said displacement in Sheikan district, which includes El Obeid, has risen sharply over the past eight months. The agency also linked worsening conditions to seasonal flooding in parts of North Darfur, adding another pressure point for civilians already uprooted by war.

The report also cited new displacement in other parts of Sudan, including Blue Nile and West Darfur, while heavy rains in North Darfur damaged homes and forced families to move again. Humanitarian groups and UN officials say the scale of displacement reflects how conflict, damaged infrastructure and flooding are combining to strain aid access and basic services.

The broader war in Sudan, which began in April 2023, has created one of the world’s largest displacement crises, according to UN figures cited by Al Jazeera. The situation in Kordofan matters because it sits on a key front in the conflict and is increasingly burdened by fighting around strategic roads, towns and supply routes.