UN urges warring parties to protect civilians amidst continued attacks and escalating displacement in Sudan – JURIST

The United Nations issued a statement Wednesday urging warring parties in Sudan to take tangible action to protect civilians as attacks continue in the country’s Blue Nile and North Kordofan states. The call comes as the war between rival militaries, the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), continues with no clear end in sight, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of civilians and leaving more than 14 million people displaced. 

The war between the SAF and former allies the RSF erupted in April 2023, sparking the world’s largest humanitarian and displacement crisis. What began as a power struggle between Sudan’s two dominant military forces quickly spread across the country, devastating major cities and destabilizing regions already affected by poverty and conflict. Millions of people have been forced from their homes, while widespread insecurity has disrupted access to food, healthcare, education, and other essential services. Continued fighting has also complicated humanitarian relief efforts, leaving civilians increasingly vulnerable to hunger, disease, and violence as the conflict drags on.

On Wednesday, multiple waves of drone strikes were reported across El Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan, a state in central Sudan. A vital commercial hub for gum arabic and livestock trade, the region has faced severe displacement, heavy fighting, and drone strikes since the outbreak of the civil war in 2023. According to an update provided by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the attacks came “at a time when continuing attacks and insecurity in northern parts of the state were driving further displacement into the city,” further overburdening the already stretched-thin resources within the state. 

Beyond the immediate threat to civilians, renewed attacks on El Obeid risk further disrupting supply routes and commercial activity across a region that serves as an important link between central and western Sudan. Humanitarian agencies have repeatedly warned that continued insecurity in North Kordofan is restricting access to vulnerable communities, while new arrivals place additional pressure on shelter, food supplies, healthcare and other basic services. 

Humanitarian partners have estimated that roughly 15,000 families have been displaced to El Obeid over a period of three weeks, with the continued influx putting even greater pressure on displacement sites and basic services. 

Elsewhere in Sudan, violence has continued to take a heavy toll on civilians. In Blue Nile state, local sources report that more than 20 civilians were killed and many others injured following clashes in Geisan town on Tuesday, a day before the drone strikes on El Obeid.