UN migration agency says 50,000 displaced in Sudan’s Kordofan as violence worsens

Escalating violence in Sudan's Kordofan region has forcibly displaced over 50,000 people since late October, the International Organization for Migration reported on Friday. IOM’s Chief of Mission in Sudan, Mohamed Refaat, stated that civilians are fleeing towns like Babanusa, Kadugli, and El-Obeid not by choice, but out of sheer fear for their safety.

Civilians Trapped in Expanding Conflict

The displacement is driven by intensified clashes between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, who have been at war since April 2023. Refaat cited reports of shelling in residential areas of Dilling, South Kordofan, in the past 48 hours. Many of those fleeing are women and children seeking refuge in states like White Nile and Gedaref, following a pattern of mass displacement seen after the RSF's capture of El Fasher in North Darfur in October.

A Looming Catastrophe in Key Urban Centers

The IOM official issued a stark warning about the potential for a dramatic worsening of the crisis. He estimated that continued fighting could displace 90,000 to 100,000 people from Kadugli alone, where recent drone attacks killed six UN peacekeepers. The major city of El-Obeid, he cautioned, is "one or two steps" away from a similar assault, which could affect more than half a million residents.

Aid Agencies Forced to Scale Back Amid Funding Crisis

Compounding the disaster, humanitarian agencies are struggling to respond due to severe funding shortages. Refaat revealed that the IOM has lost $83 million in funding this year, forcing impossible choices. "We have to choose which lives we can save," he said, issuing an urgent appeal for increased international support for Sudan's civilians caught in the crossfire.