30 November-6 December Sudan News Summary: desperation in Kadugli and attack on aid convoy

Arabic news roundup

By William Greenwood

Kadugli: rapid exodus and complete collapse of services

• Activists in the service committees of Kadugli stated that despite the relative calm prevailing in the city, this tranquility masks deep tension and escalating anxiety, with the worsening security, economic, and service crises driving citizens to leave the city at an unprecedented rate.

• According to the activists, the city is witnessing a remarkably rapid exodus, with residents leaving daily for fear of deteriorating humanitarian and security conditions and the possibility of renewed attacks.

• They explained that a state of panic and fear has gripped the population, to the point that children who go to school in the morning return home quickly upon hearing news of drones in the air.

• They pointed out that this turbulent psychological climate is pushing many to make the decision to leave without waiting for any new developments, given the absence of clear security guarantees.

• According to the activists, among the factors that have exacerbated these fears is the near-complete departure of the UNISFA mission from the city, at a time when several humanitarian organisations are preparing to end their projects before the end of the year. This makes their continued presence in the region virtually impossible.

• Activists warn that the departure of these organisations will leave a significant void in protection and aid, threatening to worsen the humanitarian situation.

• Regarding services, activists reported that employees in Kadugli are facing dire circumstances due to delayed salary payments, with sources indicating that some institutions have not yet received their October salaries, further straining families already struggling with harsh living conditions.

• They also noted that the joint security cell continues its arbitrary arrest campaigns, targeting dozens of activists, some of whom have been imprisoned without charge, which has sparked widespread resentment and anxiety within the local community.

From: Dabanga

Attack on UN aid lorry in North Kordofan

• The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) reported that a lorry in an aid convoy en route to Tawila, North Darfur, was attacked in the town of Hamra al-Sheikh, North Kordofan.

• The Tawila area, controlled by the Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) led by Abdul Wahid Mohamed Nour, has transformed from remote villages lacking basic services into a refuge for more than 650,000 displaced people living in dire humanitarian conditions.

• The WFP explained that the attacked truck was part of a 39-lorry convoy carrying vital food aid to support families who have fled to the Tawila area.

• The roads leading from eastern and central Sudan through North Kordofan to Darfur are the WFP's main supply route for reaching the most vulnerable people in Darfur.

• The WFP stated that this attack occurred on a route used by approximately 100 aid lorries per month to deliver emergency food assistance to Darfur.

• This was the sixth attack of its kind targeting World Food Programme lorries, property, and facilities since last year, which killed eight humanitarian workers and their partners, and injured many others.

From: Sudan Tribune

English news roundup

By Samuel Hunt

New displacement and aid collapse in Sudan’s Kordofan region amid escalating RSF-driven violence

• Over 1,600 civilians fled a single town in South Kordofan in one day, highlighting a rapid new wave of displacement as violence intensifies.

• The army has denied claims that Rapid Support Forces (RSF) captured Babanusa in West Kordofan, a strategic city, leaving the region uncertain and civilians unsure whether to flee or stay.

• The United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has warned of “atrocities” as fighting spreads across the Kordofan region, including reported deaths from aerial strikes, shelling, summary executions, abductions, sexual violence and forced recruitment—raising concerns for civilians, especially women and children.

• Medical workers report dire conditions for civilians trapped in conflict zones: lack of access to food, water, shelter and healthcare, putting women and children at severe risk.

• Humanitarian assistance is increasingly difficult to deliver due to insecurity and violence across the region, threatening to leave displaced families without basic necessities — shelter, medical care, or safe passage.

Sources: UN, Al Jazeera English, Sky News, Anadolu Agency, Al Jazeera English