Fighting Continues in Various Fronts in North and West Kordofan, Sudan, Amid Growing Suffering of Displaced Persons

SadaNews - The Sudanese army is engaged in several battles across different fronts in the states of North and West Kordofan (in the south of the country) as the suffering of displaced persons fleeing the horrors of war continues, amid UN calls for more resources to meet their needs.

Press sources reported that fierce battles are taking place between the army and the Rapid Support Forces, to the west of the city of Al-Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan, and in the city of Babonosa, the most prominent city in West Kordofan, as well as in towns in the northern part of the state.

Military sources stated that the Rapid Support Forces targeted sites in Babonosa with drones and artillery.

Military sources told Anadolu Agency that the Sudanese army and its supporting forces are advancing in the Um Somima front in North Kordofan and the western front of Al-Khui city in West Kordofan.

Um Somima is a strategic area located about 50 kilometers west of the city of Al-Obeid and connects North Kordofan to West Kordofan.

The fighting has intensified in the Kordofan region after the Rapid Support Forces captured the city of Al-Fasher in Darfur on October 26, and committed massacres against civilians, according to documentation by local and international organizations.

Humanitarian Crisis

The humanitarian suffering in Sudan has deepened due to the ongoing war since April 2023, which has resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands and the displacement of about 13 million people.

The director of the Emergency Department at the Humanitarian Aid Commission in White Nile state, Muawiya Mohamed, stated that the region has received more than 16,000 newly displaced persons arriving from North Kordofan (central Sudan) and the Darfur region to the west.

He noted that White Nile state has become increasingly receiving those fleeing from conflict areas, with the total number of displaced persons exceeding two million.

On his part, Sheldon Yett, the representative of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in Sudan, stated that the available resources are insufficient to meet the needs of children fleeing the conflict. He added that many children have witnessed crimes against their families and relatives in Al-Fasher.

Yett added in an interview with Al Jazeera, "There are not enough resources to meet the needs of those fleeing from Al-Fasher, where the crisis is centered. There are children receiving support, and we are trying to provide them with education, but they constitute a small percentage as 80% of them do not go to school, and what we actually have is only 25% of the resources required to address the crisis."