International warning of an imminent ground offensive threatening hundreds of thousands in El Obeid

June 29, 2026 (PEN) The International Rescue Committee warned today that the escalating drone attacks by the Rapid Support Forces on El Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan state, have resulted in civilian deaths, halted food, water and fuel supplies, and paved the way for a ground offensive that puts hundreds of thousands at imminent risk.

The committee said that strikes targeting fuel depots and water stations have led to a severe shortage of supplies for the population, while civilians face the risk of being besieged as ground forces advance and main evacuation routes towards Kosti are closed.

Richard Data, the ICRC's Sudan office director, said, "What is happening in El Obeid today could be a repeat of the horrors we witnessed in El Fasher, where civilians became targets."

The committee explained that El Obeid faces the same fate as El Fasher unless international bodies intervene to stop the attack, given the patterns of siege and attacks on infrastructure that have already overwhelmed hospitals and relief operations.

She noted the possibility of a mass exodus towards White Nile State, after about 2,000 people fled in recent weeks, but the lack of fuel, safe roads and physical safety leaves civilians with limited options between a besieged city and roads that are no longer travelable.

The committee called on the Rapid Support Forces to respond to international calls to halt the attack, ensure the safe passage of civilians, and open aid corridors.

She warned that White Nile State is vulnerable to a wave of displacement that it does not have sufficient resources to accommodate, if hostilities do not stop immediately.

War broke out in Sudan in mid-April 2023 between the army and the Rapid Support Forces, following disagreements over arrangements for integrating the latter into the military establishment as part of the political transition process.

The conflict has caused tens of thousands of deaths and the displacement and refuge of millions, in addition to a widespread deterioration in humanitarian conditions and basic services, amid faltering regional and international efforts to reach a permanent ceasefire and a political settlement.