Kordofan engulfed in violence as Sudan conflict deepens

The Sudanese states of Kordofan are reeling under a new wave of violence as relentless airstrikes, artillery shelling, and clashes between rival forces leave hundreds dead and thousands displaced.

The United Nations and human rights groups have raised alarm over what they describe as possible war crimes against civilians.

Over the past week, government forces based in Port Sudan have intensified air raids on towns and villages across North and West Kordofan. Markets, homes, and gathering places have been reduced to rubble.

According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), dozens of families have fled al-Idaya locality, arriving in el-Obeid after attacks near an-Nuhud.

OCHA reports that Sudan’s Humanitarian Response Plan for 2025 is only 28 per cent funded, leaving millions without access to food, water, or medical care.

“The humanitarian needs in Darfur and Kordofan are growing daily,” the agency warned in its latest update.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) confirmed that hundreds of displaced people reached el-Obeid exhausted and starving after walking for several days.

Many are now sheltering in makeshift camps with limited access to clean water or healthcare.

In West Kordofan, the local administration said an airstrike on al-Fula on November 3 killed and injured dozens of civilians.

Radio Dabanga reported that a separate attack in Abu Zabad destroyed homes and killed at least three people.

Local authorities have appealed to the international community to investigate what they call “a massacre” in al-Fula.

They are urging the UN Security Council and human rights groups to send observers and hold those responsible accountable.

Medical sources in North Kordofan reported that a drone strike on al-Luwieb village, east of el-Obeid, killed at least 58 people and wounded more than 50 others.

Human Rights Watch has condemned the strikes as indiscriminate, warning that they may constitute war crimes.

The group documented attacks using unguided bombs dropped from cargo planes flying at high altitudes — tactics that violate international humanitarian law.

The Sudanese National Human Rights Observatory accused the army of targeting a displacement center in Kadugli, South Kordofan, killing several people.

“Even supposed safe havens are being bombed,” the group said.

Meanwhile, in North Darfur, the city of al-Fashir is beginning to recover after weeks of fighting. Forces from the Sudan Founding Alliance (Tasis) have taken control, reopening main roads and allowing aid convoys to enter.

Prime Minister Mohamed Hassan al-Ta’aishi has announced the creation of a special force to protect civilians and called on citizens to help rebuild the city.

Despite the fragile calm in el-Fasher, the crisis in Kordofan highlights the deepening humanitarian catastrophe across Sudan — a nation still trapped in the fires of a war that shows no sign of ending.