The United Nations has issued a stark warning that a dramatic surge in violence across Sudan, particularly in the Kordofan region, is creating an untenable situation for civilians, driving new waves of displacement and deepening what is already one of the world’s most severe humanitarian crises. As the conflict nears its 1,000th day, the international body emphasizes that the war’s dynamics are evolving, putting non-combatants in ever-greater peril.
UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric, briefing journalists in New York, stated that the latest fatalities occurred amid “escalating violence, especially across the Kordofans, which continues to put civilians at ‘extreme risk’ and drives displacement.” This warning from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) underscores a critical shift: while the capital’s capture was a major event, the fighting has now metastasized into regional flashpoints with devastating local consequences.
The Mechanics of a Partitioned War
The conflict, which erupted in April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), has effectively partitioned the nation. The RSF controls vast swathes of the west and south, while the military holds the east, including Port Sudan, which now functions as a de facto capital. This stalemate has transformed Sudan into a patchwork of contested territories, where frontline towns and villages bear the brunt of the violence. The recent drone strikes in North Darfur—the epicenter of the country’s famine-like conditions—exemplify this brutal trend, where heavy weaponry is used in areas crowded with displaced and starving populations.
The Human Toll: Displacement in the Kordofans
The UN’s data paints a grim picture of localized collapse. Citing the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), Dujarric highlighted that in just a five-day period from December 31 to January 4, violence forced nearly 1,000 people to flee a single locality in South Kordofan. A further 2,000 were uprooted in North Kordofan on January 5th alone. Cumulatively, approximately 65,000 people have been displaced across the Kordofan region between late October and the end of December 2025. These figures represent more than statistics; they signify the repeated destruction of communities, the severing of social ties, and the exhaustion of survival strategies for a population that has already endured nearly three years of war.
A Crisis of Regional Proportions
The conflict’s ramifications extend far beyond Sudan’s borders. Described as a war that has “drawn in outside powers and destabilised multiple countries,” it has triggered one of the planet’s largest displacement crises. Over 12 million people have been uprooted, according to OCHA. This includes millions of refugees straining the resources of neighboring Chad, South Sudan, Egypt, and Ethiopia, creating a domino effect of instability in an already fragile region. The international community’s response remains critically underfunded, leaving host nations and aid agencies overwhelmed.
In response, Dujarric reiterated the UN’s urgent call for an immediate cessation of hostilities, the protection of civilians as mandated under international humanitarian law, and for “rapid, safe and sustained humanitarian access.” Without these fundamental conditions, aid agencies cannot reach the millions in need, and the risk of mass starvation grows.
Glimmers of Resilience and Recovery
Amid the devastation, there are pockets of fragile recovery. In Khartoum, which was recaptured by government forces in late 2025, the UN Development Programme (UNDP) and partners are assisting returning families. Their work includes the removal of dangerous debris, creating short-term employment opportunities, and supporting the distribution of medicine through damaged health infrastructure. Northeast of the capital, in the city of Ed-Damer, UNDP provides essential psychosocial support, particularly for women who have borne the trauma of conflict. These efforts, however, remain isolated and are contingent on a security environment that is still highly volatile.
The UN’s warning is a clear signal that the world’s attention must not waver from Sudan. The escalation in the Kordofans is not merely another chapter in the war but a potential tipping point that could exacerbate famine, collapse remaining civic structures, and lock in a legacy of suffering for generations to come. The 1,000-day milestone is not just a grim statistic; it is a testament to a prolonged failure of diplomacy and a urgent call for renewed, concerted international action.
Report by Cecilia Ologunagba for NAN. Edited by Bashir Rabe Mani. (Source: NAN News)
