30 August-5 September 2026 Sudan News Summary: disease spreading, deteriorating conditions in El Obeid

6 Sept

Arabic news roundup

By William Greenwood

Two UN-affiliated groups stated on Wednesday that families displaced in the coming period will face risks related to disease and protection, as the ability to respond is hampered by funding shortages and depleted supply stocks.
The warning was issued by the Camp Coordination and Camp Management (CCCM) Cluster and the Shelter and Non-Food Items (NFI) Cluster—mechanisms dedicated to supporting displaced communities.
In a joint statement, the two groups reported that families newly displaced in the coming months would face prolonged exposure to the elements, disease, and protection risks.
The statement noted that the failure to provide adequate shelter for newly displaced families would increase their vulnerability to weather conditions, disease, and insecurity, while also heightening the risks of gender-based violence, family separation, and eviction from overcrowded sites.
Most remaining stocks of shelter and non-food items are already allocated, while funding supporting the joint supply pipeline expires this month, with no confirmed replacement supplies to meet new needs.

The Kordofan Human Rights Observatory has reported 10 confirmed deaths and over 40 cases of cholera in the Al-Adiyah locality of West Kordofan State.
The World Health Organization (WHO) stated that more than 2,600 cholera cases had been reported across several states by early August, identifying the Kordofan region as the epicentre of the recent outbreak.
Meanwhile, the WHO announced that Sudan has launched a campaign to vaccinate 928,000 people against cholera in the states of West Darfur and West Kordofan.
The response campaign in West Kordofan is being implemented in the localities of El Nahud, Dabada, and El Fula, with a concurrent proactive anti-cholera campaign announced for Kas in South Darfur and Tawila in North Darfur.
The region is suffering from a near-total lack of life-saving medicines and medical supplies, particularly intravenous fluids and essential medications for treating infected patients, a situation that exacerbates the risk of the epidemic spreading and the death toll rising.

By Samuel Hunt

Humanitarian conditions in the Sudanese city of El Obeid and two camps on its outskirts are dire and deteriorating, according to people on the ground, as civilians displaced by fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces and RSF militia continue to pour in from the surrounding countryside.
“The situation is very harsh and is deteriorating as El Obeid is receiving internally displaced people on a daily basis … The city is shockingly overcrowded,” said a humanitarian volunteer.
“During my visit, I saw 450 arrivals coming from the surrounding villages just that morning,” said Paul Byars, the Sudan country director for the Danish Refugee Council, who was in El Obeid last week. “The authorities’ estimates are correct, that 85% of them are women and children. Most of the men are staying behind because this is the only time for farming.”

Bill Greenwood