5-11 July 2026 Sudan News Summary: El Obeid under siege, international pledges for Sudan’s healthcare system

12 Jul

Arabic news roundup

By William Greenwood

Save the Children reported that more than 5,500 children are among the 11,000 people newly displaced following an escalation of violence in and around the city of El Obeid, in Sudan’s North Kordofan state, with thousands more at risk.
This displacement follows a surge in drone strikes that have killed civilians and destroyed civilian infrastructure, leading to severe shortages of fuel and water.
The organisation stated that humanitarian access to El Obeid, a vital commercial and humanitarian hub in the region, has become increasingly restricted as many key access routes to the city have been disrupted or closed.
There appears to be systematic targeting that has directly impacted the economic situation, driving up prices and causing water shortages.
Displaced families are facing dire living conditions with many struggling to access adequate shelter, clean water, healthcare, and education, while overcrowding places additional strain on already limited resources.
The onset of the rainy season and the ongoing cholera outbreak in Kordofan, with the Ministry of Health confirming over 300 cases, pose further risks to children who lack access to healthcare.

The Sudanese Ministry of Health has announced financial and in-kind pledges totalling $150 million from international partners to support humanitarian programs, early recovery efforts, and the rebuilding of the health sector, aiming to enhance health services for citizens and restore the health system's capabilities.
The statement added that the program was organised and coordinated by the Sudanese American Physicians Association (SAPA), with the attendance of Sudan’s ambassador to Washington and several diplomats.
After more than three years of war, Sudan is facing the world's largest humanitarian crisis, according to the World Health Organisation; approximately 34 million people require assistance, while 21 million suffer from limited access to health services.
Repeated attacks have crippled large parts of the health system—which was already struggling with the repercussions of hunger and the spread of disease—as the crisis intensifies in areas still witnessing active combat, despite improvements in the situation in some states.
Participants emphasised the importance of continued coordination between the government and international partners, as well as building upon these partnerships to expand the scope of health and humanitarian interventions, thereby contributing to improving the lives of millions of Sudanese people.
From: Darfur24

By Samuel Hunt

More than 300 children have been killed or injured in Sudan in the first six months of this year, with drone strikes accounting for 60% of casualties; in El Obeid, a doctor told the BBC that among her cases was a seven-month-old baby whose hand was amputated before she died from her injuries.
Aid workers in El Obeid describe a city being systematically destroyed: one volunteer said that seeing 40 or 45 drones overhead is now normal, while another said nearly every essential service had been hit in two weeks, including the main power station, fuel depots and water supplies, with drone strikes on convoys sending prices soaring and trapping residents who want to flee.
The UN Human Rights Council has approved a resolution condemning escalating RSF violence around El Obeid, while investigators warn the international community "still has a window of opportunity" to act, but similar warnings went unheeded before El Fasher fell, and "a repeat of what happened in El Fasher looks frighteningly possible."

Bill Greenwood