Over 200,000 newly displaced in Sudan's Kordofan amid intensified fighting and floods

The United Nations International Organization for Migration announced that intensified combat has pushed more than 200,000 additional residents from their homes across Sudan’s Kordofan region. Drone assaults on El Obeid’s main power transformer have crippled electricity needed for water pumps, hospitals and communications, while seasonal flooding in nearby North Darfur has further displaced families. In the Sheikan district, which includes El Obeid, the displaced population has grown 25 percent over the past eight months; Blue Nile state reports about 78,000 fleeing and West Darfur about 18,000 in early August.

Torrential rains in the Tawila area of North Darfur have ruined roughly 1,350 houses, sending more than 1,000 families onto the streets. Since the conflict erupted in April 2023, an estimated 59,000 people have been killed, 8.6 million internally displaced and over 4.2 million have crossed into neighboring nations. Humanitarian agencies, including Save the Children, note that nearly 39,000 children have arrived in El Obeid this year alone. IOM Director General Amy Pope warned that the combined effect of fighting, infrastructure damage and floods is stretching families beyond their limits.