Sudan’s El Obeid faces humanitarian collapse as population tops one million

The United Nations warned on 17 July that the humanitarian situation in El Obeid, the capital of Sudan’s North Kordofan state, is deteriorating rapidly. Encircled for months by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the city’s population has essentially doubled, with more than one million people now living there, up from roughly 500‑600 thousand before the war. Over 120 000 displaced persons are in formal camps while many more shelter with host families or in makeshift shelters.

The World Food Programme (WFP) is providing food assistance to about 100 000 people and aims to reach 250 000 if conditions permit, but rations are insufficient and are being shared among several families. Supplies of food, water and fuel remain limited, clean‑water distribution is hampered by power outages, and more than 30 new cholera cases have been reported. WFP staff highlighted that the aid they deliver is the only lifeline preventing famine in the city.

The crisis is rooted in the conflict that began in April 2023 between Sudan’s Armed Forces and the RSF, which has caused an estimated 200 000 deaths and displaced over 11 million people nationwide. Multiple regions, including North Kordofan, face acute food insecurity, and international agencies are urging all parties to protect civilians and ensure humanitarian access.