UNICEF: 500,000 civilians at risk in El Obeid

July 12, 2026 (PEN) The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) confirmed on Saturday that 500,000 civilians are at risk in El Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan state, due to escalating fighting that is forcing children and families to flee.

The organization said in a Facebook post that the intense fighting in Al-Abyad is forcing children and families to flee and seek refuge, stressing the need to prevent further escalation to protect their safety.

Estimates indicate that the population of Al-Abyad has risen to about 3 million people, after it was transformed into a center for sheltering displaced people, while its original population does not exceed 500,000 people.

The United Nations had warned last May of escalating drone attacks in Kordofan, saying that those strikes had killed at least 880 civilians between January and April 2026.

The UN Human Rights Council announced last Monday that it would conduct an urgent investigation into the abuses in the city of El Obeid, warning of an "imminent risk of widespread atrocities".

The city has been subjected to attacks for a month by drones belonging to the Rapid Support Forces, targeting the power station and fuel stations, resulting in the death and injury of dozens, according to Anadolu Agency.

The three Kordofan states have been witnessing clashes between the army and the Rapid Support Forces since last October, amid a humanitarian crisis that has left 13 million displaced since the outbreak of war in April 2023.