The health situation in South Kordofan worsened in November 2013, largely due to malaria-related illness and the spread of tuberculosis in Heiban County. Six suspected cases of yellow fever were also reported by the SPLM-N Secretariat of Health in Buram and Kadugli.

Multiple factors are worsening the living situation in South Kordofan. A failure of the harvest has caused a severe chronic food insecurity in Abu Jubeiha and Talodi counties continued during November, due to bad climatic conditions. Besides that, there is a lack of agricultural inputs and limited access to agricultural land in areas where the SPLM-N resides.

There is also limited access for vaccinators of the World Health Organization in South Kordofan and Blue Nile state. Therefore no testing of suspected cases or vaccination of vulnerable communities has been conducted in these SPLM-N areas.

Security situation

People are moving between Warni area in Talodi county and Kaw Nyaro areas in Abu Jubeiha county due to worsening security conditions in Talodi, SPLM-N monitors reported. It is likely that in December communities will flow out from south-eastern South Kordofan into Fashoda county of the Upper Nile state, South Sudan.

The affected population inside SPLM-N held areas of the two counties has been estimated at more than 30,000 people by local authorities. Six payams, political subdivisions of counties, in south-eastern South Kordofan are currently held by SPLM-N. Eight were separated from central SPLM-N territory by Sudanese army territory in western Talodi.

On 22 November, the SAF and Popular Defence Forces (PDF) attacked Karko area in El Sunut county in South Kordofan. Afterwards they attacked nearby villages in Kundukr area of Delling county. More than 900 houses were reportedly burned, with more than 30 civilian casualties and 3,700 civilians displaced to Kujuria and Tondia areas. Aerial bombardment of Buram, Dellami and Um Dorain resulted in seven civilian casualties in November, according to the Coordination Unit report. 

Situation Blue Nile 

More people are displaced in the SPLM-N controlled Baw, Geissan, and Kurmuk counties in Blue Nile. The SAF and PDF have reportedly attacked a group of refugees from the Ingessena Hills en route to the El Foj border. More than 800 new arrivals from Geissan reached Ethiopia during the reporting period. The majority of the internally displaced people do not have access to humanitarian assistance inside Blue Nile, the report concludes.

File photo: South Kordofan

Related:

Sudanese Air Force bombing kills three, wounds four in Habila, South Kordofan (28 November 2013)

South Kordofan fighting displaces 1,300 people: UN (23 November 2013)