The spokesperson for UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Monday said the escalating insecurity in Sudan’s Kordofan and other states is placing civilians under increasing strain, disrupting health services, and triggering new displacement.
According to Stéphane Dujarric, who was briefing the media, in the city of Dilling in South Kordofan State, the medical association in Sudan reports that three major hospitals are now out of service amid ongoing shelling, and that four doctors have reportedly been killed.
“Continued insecurity and siege-like conditions have severely restricted access to life-saving assistance for civilians trapped in the city,” he said. “We once again call on all parties to immediately stop attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure, respect international humanitarian law, and ensure rapid, safe, unhindered, and sustained humanitarian access.”
“The International Organization for Migration (IOM) is telling us that more than 2,200 people were displaced last week from the locality of Abassiya and the state capital Kadugli in South Kordofan State, moving towards White Nile State,” Dujarric added.
He said local partners further indicate that families displaced from North Kordofan State continue to arrive in Gedaref, Khartoum, and River Nile states.
“These areas hosting the displaced families are reaching a breaking point. Last week, Denise Brown, our Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Sudan, led an assessment mission to Al-Afad Camp in Northern State, where authorities report that the camp has reached its full capacity of 3,000 households,” he said. “Between 60 and 80 new families continue to arrive at the camp each day from the Darfur and the Kordofan regions.”
Dujarric stated that conditions at the camp are harsh, sanitation capacity is severely limited, with only about 100 latrines available against an estimated need of roughly 800.
“Local authorities further report that nearly 80,000 displaced families are now hosted across Northern State, placing severe strain on food, health, water, education, and sanitation services, and exposing women, children, older people, and persons with disabilities to heightened risks,” Dujarric said.
He reported that OCHA urgently appeals for additional funding so our humanitarian partners can scale up life-saving assistance and help avert an even deeper humanitarian catastrophe across Sudan.
“In 2026, our partners aim to help 20 million people through the $2.9 billion Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan,” he stated.
Relatedly, Dujarric said that the Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy for Sudan, Ramtane Lamamra, is currently in Cairo until 15 January for the fifth Sudan Consultative Group meeting, hosted by Egypt.
“This meeting will provide an opportunity for renewed and coordinated international engagement to advance peacemaking efforts in Sudan. On the margins of the meeting, the Personal Envoy will engage with key regional and international partners,” he said. “The United Nations continues to work closely with all partners to support a coordinated approach to ending the conflict in Sudan.”