The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) expressed deep concern on Thursday regarding the escalating violence in Sudan’s Kordofan region. Escalating fighting has killed and injured civilians, destroyed homes and hospitals, and damaged other civilian infrastructure, further constraining humanitarian access.
In South Kordofan State, confrontations between the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) have intensified over the past week. Local humanitarian organizations have reported disruption of key routes into the city of Dilling.
Aid agencies also report that a drone strike hit Dilling General Hospital this week, killing at least four patients and injuring several civilians. Violence has also escalated in the town of Kadugli, creating a highly volatile security environment for communities and humanitarian workers.
South Kordofan State is currently the epicenter of the war in Sudan. The towns of Dilling and Kadugli have experienced spiraling humanitarian needs due to prolonged sieges. Ongoing fighting forcing more people from their homes and making the movement of humanitarian and commercial supplies very difficult.
Civilians in this part of southern Sudan are facing intensified hostilities and an almost total blockade of humanitarian supplies after enduring over a year of starvation and bombardment. According to recent analysis from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), famine is highly likely to be ongoing in Kadugli, as well as in Dilling.
Over the past two weeks, the SAF and allied Joint Forces broke the sieges of Kadugli and Dilling, opening a route into the area. However, both sides of the conflict continue to conduct drone strikes, resulting in dozens of civilian casualties. Additionally, civilians are at risk of summary executions, sexual violence, arbitrary detention, and family separation.
Meanwhile, El Obeid, a city in North Kordofan State, has faced continued drone attacks over the past five days. Strikes have been reported against a hospital, as well as government sites. On Thursday, OCHA reported that critical infrastructure and supply routes, including the road between Kosti and El Obeid, are increasingly under threat, raising serious concerns for both humanitarian and commercial supply chains.
The UN humanitarian office once again calls on the parties to the conflict to adhere to their obligations under international humanitarian law and facilitate rapid, safe, unhindered, and sustained humanitarian access.
On Tuesday, Denise Brown, the Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan, concluded a three-day visit to Dilling — the first mission by a senior UN official to the town since the latest hostilities began. While in Dilling, Brown visited displacement sites and a hospital. The Humanitarian Coordinator also met with local communities and humanitarian workers to better identify necessary resources.
In a positive development, the non-governmental organization Save the Children announced the first delivery of vaccines to Kadugli in nearly three years earlier this week, which underscores the importance of continued and unhindered humanitarian access.
South Kordofan had not received any vaccines since July 2023 due to the siege that blocked medical and humanitarian supplies, which left thousands of children unprotected against preventable diseases at a time when malnutrition and displacement put them at a heightened risk.
The scale of the unfolding humanitarian catastrophe in Sudan is unprecedented. On April 15, 2023, conflict erupted between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and the Sudanese Armed Forces, resulting in widespread displacement, hunger, and the world's largest humanitarian emergency.
Although 3.6 million people have returned since last year, more than 14 million remain displaced due to the ongoing war. This makes Sudan the country with the world's largest displacement crisis. In 2026, 33.7 million people — two-thirds of Sudan's population — are in need of humanitarian assistance and protection. Among those in need are more than 20 million children.
Sudan is also experiencing an unprecedented hunger crisis. Nearly three years into the war, the country continues to slide into a famine characterized by widespread hunger and a significant surge in acute malnutrition. Sudan is the only country in the world where famine has been confirmed in multiple areas and continues to spread.
According to the latest analysis by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), over 19 million people in Sudan are currently experiencing high levels of acute food insecurity (IPC Phase 3 or worse). The rapid deterioration of food security has left approximately 146,000 people in catastrophic conditions (IPC Phase 5). More than 4.9 million people are estimated to be experiencing emergency levels of hunger (IPC Phase 4).
The UN is calling for increased funding to address the most urgent needs in Sudan. The 2026 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan (HNRP), which calls for US$2.9 billion, is only 15 percent funded, with just over $400 million received thus far, severely constraining the delivery of crucial assistance. While the HNRP targets 20.4 million people and seeks $2.9 billion, about 14 million Sudanese are prioritized for urgent life-saving assistance, requiring $2.1 billion.