Humanitarian Crisis Deepens in El Obeid, Sudan

Since mid-July, El Obeid—North Kordofan’s provincial capital—has been swamped by internally displaced people (IDPs) fleeing fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). More than 15,000 families have arrived in the city, adding to over 200,000 arrivals in the first half of the year, according to government figures cited by Save the Children. The influx has strained already-overloaded services, while recurring RSF drone strikes continue to injure civilians and impede aid delivery.

The Guardian

The civil war erupted on April 15, 2023 when a power struggle in Khartoum escalated into open conflict. The war has displaced roughly 11.3 million Sudanese—about one-fifth of the population—and left El Obeid, once home to half a million, vulnerable to famine. Satellite analysis by the Yale Humanitarian Research Lab recorded 800 new tents erected in one camp between 4 and August 25, reflecting the rapid expansion of makeshift settlements.

The Guardian

Women and children now comprise an estimated 85 % of the new arrivals, according to Paul Byars of the Danish Refugee Council. Food prices have surged; a litre of groundnut oil cost 17,000 Sudanese pounds in July, up from 13,000 in June and 7,700 a year earlier (World Food Programme). Violence remains high: Acled data show 322 civilian-impact incidents in Kordofan this year, versus 388 in 2025, with RSF drones responsible for half of all violent events, up from 4 % at the war’s start (Nohad Eltayeb, Acled). On August 10, armed forces and an allied militia killed five civilians and injured ten people about 60 miles north-east of El Obeid (Emergency Lawyers).

The Guardian

The Danish Refugee Council’s country director confirmed the scale of arrivals and the gender imbalance, emphasizing that most men remain in farms. Médecins Sans Frontières’ emergency coordinator highlighted severe damage to the city’s main water source and inadequate water trucking, while also noting dire sanitation: latrine ratios exceed 100 people per facility, forcing open defecation. UN agencies have warned that continued drone activity could replicate the 2025 El Fasher massacre.

The Guardian

• “The situation is very harsh and is deteriorating as El Obeid is receiving IDPs [internally displaced people] on a daily basis … The city is shockingly overcrowded,” — Maryam

The Guardian

• “During my visit, I saw 450 arrivals coming from the surrounding villages just that morning,” — Paul Byars, the Sudan country director for the Danish Refugee Council

The Guardian

• “The main problem is the big [water] source that is in the north of the city has been severely damaged and it has not been repaired,” — Esperanza Santos

The Guardian

• “In terms of sanitation, it’s very, very bad. It’s not enough. The ratio of latrines per person is impossible – there are more than 100 people for a latrine. So basically there is open defecation.” — Maryam

The Guardian