United Nations (UN) Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric warned that attacks across the Kordofans are intensifying, with civilians bearing the brunt of the fighting. Rival forces have been locked in a brutal conflict since April 2023, pitting the Sudanese Armed Forces against the Rapid Support Forces militia.
The war has effectively partitioned the country. The Rapid Support Forces have gained ground in western and southern Sudan, while the national army controls most of the east, including the capital, Khartoum.
The latest fatalities in North Kordofan come days after additional civilian casualties were reported from drone strikes in North Darfur, the epicentre of Sudan’s deepening hunger crisis. The renewed violence is unfolding just ahead of the 1 000th day since the conflict began, underscoring the protracted and devastating nature of the war.
Displacement continues to rise sharply. According to the International Organisation for Migration, nearly 1 000 people fled a locality in South Kordofan between December 31, 2025 and January 4, 2026, while a further 2 000 were displaced from parts of North Kordofan on Monday alone. In total, about 65 000 people were uprooted across the Kordofan region between late October and the end of December.
The conflict, which has drawn in external actors and destabilised parts of the wider region, has triggered one of the world’s largest displacement crises. More than 12 million people have been forced from their homes, according to the UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs. The UN has renewed its call for an immediate cessation of hostilities, the protection of civilians, and unimpeded humanitarian access to affected areas.
At the same time, UN agencies are supporting early recovery efforts in Khartoum, where families have begun returning after Government forces regained control of the capital last year. The UN Development Programme and its partners are clearing debris, creating short-term work opportunities, distributing medicines despite damaged infrastructure, and providing psychosocial support, including services for women in Ed-Damer, northeast of the capital.
–UN/ChannelAfrica–
