UN reports over 900 flee South Kordofan as Sudan fighting intensifies

A new wave of displacement has hit Sudan's South Kordofan state, with over 900 people forced to flee their homes in the past three days due to a rapid deterioration in security. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported on Sunday that its tracking teams documented the exodus from multiple towns and cities as fighting intensifies between the national army and paramilitary forces.

Breakdown of displacement from key towns

According to IOM data, 365 people fled the state capital Kadugli between December 11 and 13. Another 455 escaped from the city of Dilling, and 85 were displaced from the town of al-Kuwayk in the eastern rural area during the same period. The displaced families have sought refuge primarily in North Kordofan state, with others moving to White Nile state and the central Khartoum state.

A volatile and expanding conflict zone

The IOM described the situation as "highly volatile and tense," with teams closely monitoring developments. This surge is part of a broader escalation in the Kordofan region, where weeks of fierce combat between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), alongside their ally the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North, have unfolded. UN estimates indicate over 41,000 people fled violence in North and South Kordofan in November alone.

Context of Sudan's fragmented war

The conflict, which began in April 2023, has killed thousands and displaced millions nationwide. The RSF controls the five states of the Darfur region in the west, while the army holds most territory across the remaining 13 states, including the capital. The fighting in the Kordofan states represents a critical and expanding front in a war that has created the world's largest internal displacement crisis, severely straining humanitarian resources.