The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has expressed concerns over reports of brutal attacks on villages in Sudan’s Kordofan region amidst the escalation of hostilities.
Stéphane Dujarric, the spokesperson for Secretary-General António Guterres, quoted the OCHA sentiments in his briefing on Tuesday.
Dujarric said OCHA had reported that between July 10 and 13, attacks on villages in the locality of Bara in North Kordofan State reportedly left at least 300 people dead, including children and pregnant women, and many more injured.
“Homes were looted and burned, and people displaced. Our colleagues say that ongoing communications disruptions in the area are making it difficult to confirm the exact number of civilians killed,” he said.
OCHA, Dujarric went on, was also alarmed by reports of renewed shelling in El Obeid, the state capital, which was deepening fears and insecurity among civilians.
“In West Kordofan State, attacks on the villages of Al Fula and Abu Zabad between July10 and 13 reportedly killed more than 20 people, including victims of an air strike on a school sheltering displaced families. Humanitarian operations have also been affected,” he said.
The spokesperson said the incidents were another tragic reminder of the relentless toll the conflict was taking on civilians across Sudan.
OCHA, he said, emphasized that civilians and civilian infrastructure – including schools, homes, shelters and humanitarian assets – must never be targeted, and called on all parties to the conflict to fully respect their obligations under international humanitarian law.
“People fleeing North Kordofan, as well as El Fasher in North Darfur State, continue to seek out safety in other parts of the country, including Northern State. Our humanitarian partners there report that more than 3,000 people have arrived in the locality of Ad-Dabbah since June,” said Dujarric
He pointed out that while some had received food assistance, the steady influx of newly displaced families was putting more pressure on already stretched resources.
OCHA has warned that the rainy season was bringing further hardship. In eastern Sudan on Sunday, heavy rain and strong winds destroyed or damaged shelters and food supplies for about 2,700 displaced people in Gedaref. A rapid assessment conducted by OCHA and partners found that most of the impacted families wished to return to their areas of origin but needed support to do so
Across Sudan, more than 1.3 million people have returned to their home areas since November 2024, according to the International Organization for Migration. The vast majority returned to Aj Jazirah, Sennar and Khartoum states, but they face worsening living conditions and shortages of basic services.
OCHA continues to appeal for urgent and increased support to reach millions of vulnerable people across Sudan.