UN warns of escalating humanitarian crisis in Sudan’s Kordofan region

KORDOFAN – The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has sounded the alarm over deepening humanitarian crisis in Sudan’s Kordofan region, where ongoing clashes between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) continue to endanger civilians and obstruct aid delivery.

In a situation report released on Monday, June 2, 2025, OCHA stated that thousands of civilians remained trapped without access to food, clean water, or essential medical care across the three states that make up Kordofan- North, South, and West Kordofan. The report warned that some areas are at imminent risk of famine, highlighting an “urgent need for sustained and safe humanitarian access.”

The fighting has not only intensified local needs but also jeopardized vital aid corridors to neighboring Darfur, where humanitarian demands are also surging. “The humanitarian crisis is being compounded by active conflict, insecurity, shifting frontlines, and long distances from key logistical hubs such as Port Sudan and the Adre broader crossing,” the report noted.

Key supply routes linking El-Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan, to town such as En-Nuhud, El-Khuwei, Dilling, and Kadugli have been cut off due to heavy fighting. These roads are crucial lifelines for aid distribution across central and western Sudan. “The closure of humanitarian corridors from Kordofan to Darfur is significantly impacting the flow of relief,” OCHA warned.

Clashes near Kadugli, the capital of South Kordofan, have resulted in civilian causalities and further disrupted aid efforts. In eastern areas of the Nuba Mountains, escalating violence has compounded the situation, as has recent directive from Sudan’s Humanitarian Aid Commision suspending the operations of 30 national NGOs and three international organizations in the region.

According to OCHA, many roads in and out of Kordofan are now inaccessible due to insecurity. This includes routes stretching from Kadugli to Umm Adara, An-Nahlili, and Al-Fula. The deterioration in road security has severely affected supply chains, standing trucks loaded with essential goods in El-Obeid.

The report cited the example of a humanitarian convoy of seven trucks carrying therapeutic food, antimalarial and tuberculosis medications, and chlorine tablets, which has been stuck outside Kadugli awaiting clearance to proceed. “The blockade is delaying life-saving assistance to communities in dire need,” the report emphasized.

Hostilities across Kordofan intensified dramatically throughout May. in early May, the RSF made territorial gains in En-Nuhud and El-Khuwei, reflecting the volatile military landscape that continues to hinder humanitarian operations.

As the conflict rages on, aid groups are urging all parties to ensure the protection of civilians and allow safe, unhindered access to humanitarian assistance across Kordofan and beyond.

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