UN says fresh fighting has driven nearly 10,000 from their homes in North Kordofan and Blue Nile

Renewed clashes in North Kordofan and Blue Nile states displaced close to 10,000 people in early August, UN agencies said, part of a wider wave that has uprooted more than 200,000 across the Kordofan region since late 2025.

In North Kordofan, drone strikes on El Obeid's main electrical transformer caused prolonged power cuts that disrupted water pumping, hospitals and telecommunications, according to UN reporting. Local authorities estimate the city is now sheltering around 1.3 million displaced people; the International Organization for Migration said roughly 15,000 families had reached El Obeid over a three-week period.

Aid officials have warned that disruption to Red Sea shipping lanes is complicating the delivery of relief supplies.