Fighting in Sudan's Kordofan region worsens humanitarian situation, endangers civilians: UN

UNITED NATIONS, Jan. 28 (Xinhua) -- Continued fighting in Sudan's Kordofan region is worsening the already severe humanitarian needs and putting civilians in danger, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said Wednesday.

OCHA said the security situation in Dilling, South Kordofan state's second-largest city, remains highly volatile, with humanitarian access routes cut off. The prolonged isolation of the city has driven the humanitarian situation to crisis levels.

"Humanitarian partners report that half of Dilling's civilian population fled last year, while those who remain face critical shortages of food, healthcare and other basic services," the office said. "Humanitarian operations in the city are limited, with only a small number of non-governmental organizations working under severe constraints."

Across the Kordofan region, more than 88,000 people were displaced between late October 2025 and mid-January because of the conflict, said the International Organization for Migration.

In North Darfur state, OCHA said that violence against civilians continues, with multiple drone strikes on markets and other civilian locations reported on Monday. Civilians were reportedly killed and injured, livelihoods were destroyed, and already fragile health facilities were impacted.

OCHA urged all parties to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure and ensure rapid, safe, unhindered and sustained humanitarian access, while calling on donors to step up funding so that life-saving assistance can reach more people in need. ■