The Head of Mission of the United Nations’ International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Sudan, Mohamed Rifaat, reported that more than 50,000 people have been internally displaced (IDPs) in the Kordofan region since October 25 amid escalating hostilities.
He warned that an estimated half a million people in the city of El-Obeid could be affected, noting that the city appears to be “one or two steps away from becoming the next target of attack.”
Speaking at the biweekly UN press briefing in Geneva, Rifaat emphasized that people in Sudan are fleeing out of fear, not choice, and that displacement in Kordofan is not sporadic but driven by escalating insecurity.
Displaced families are fleeing areas around Babanusa, Kadugli, and El-Obeid. Those fortunate enough to reach White Nile State are predominantly women and children. Rifaat projected that between 90,000 and 100,000 additional people could be displaced if fighting in Kadugli continues.
He also expressed serious concern over the situation in El-Fashir, North Darfur, where IOM has recorded more than 109,000 people who have fled the city and surrounding villages. Many others remain trapped in nearby areas, unable to move further due to logistical and security constraints.
Rifaat cautioned about the impact of funding cuts, stating: “We are forced to decide which lives we can save and which assistance we must stop providing. This means passing by communities we know are in desperate need, leaving them without help because we have to prioritize those on the brink of death,” noting IOM lost nearly $83 million, forcing a significant reduction of its field capacity. “We must prioritize those on the brink of death,” he said.
