Sudan: Attacks and further displacement in Blue Nile and North Kordofan

KUALA LUMPUR, 13 AUGUST 2026 —

KHARTOUM/GENEVA — The United Nations has issued an urgent call on warring parties in Sudan to safeguard civilians as intense fighting spreads across Blue Nile and North Kordofan states, driving further population displacement. The conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which broke out in April 2023, remains locked in a struggle for power that has triggered the world's largest humanitarian crisis.

In updates from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), multiple waves of drone strikes hit El Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan state, on Wednesday. OCHA reported that insecurity and ongoing attacks in northern parts of the state pushed roughly 15,000 newly displaced families into El Obeid over the past three weeks, putting severe pressure on overstretched basic services. Meanwhile, in Blue Nile state, local sources reported that more than 20 civilians were killed and many injured in Geisan town during clashes on Tuesday, forcing around 2,500 people to flee their homes, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

Looking ahead, OCHA urged all fighting factions to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure while allowing safe, rapid, and unhindered access for humanitarian aid operations. The UN agency also called on global donors to urgently scale up financial support, noting that this year's humanitarian appeal of nearly $3 billion remains only about 41 per cent funded, with $1.2 billion received to date.