Violence has escalated dramatically in the Kordofan region of Sudan, deepening what is already the world’s largest humanitarian crisis. Communities in Dilling and Kadugli, South Kordofan, remain trapped under siege conditions that have cut off access to humanitarian aid, depriving the civilian population of food, medicine and other basic supplies and services. Amid these conditions, more than 63,000 children in South Kordofan are acutely malnourished, including over 10,000 suffering from severe acute malnutrition.
Clashes and shifting control in Bara, North Kordofan, in November resulted in widespread killings and mass displacement. On 1 December, a change in control of Babanusa in West Kordofan triggered a new wave of displacement, heightened protection risks, and severe disruptions to essential services. The situation further deteriorated on 13 December, when drone attacks on the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) base in Kadugli killed six peacekeepers.
These developments reflect a wider and severe humanitarian crisis in Sudan. An IPC report released in September 2025 declared famine in El Fasher and Kadugli and warned of an imminent risk of famine in 20 additional locations across Darfur and Kordofan through January 2026. Nationwide, more than 21 million people are facing acute food insecurity, including at least 375,000 people in catastrophic conditions marked by extreme hunger, acute malnutrition, and risk of death. Nearly all displaced families in the state are affected, with 96 percent unable to meet their basic needs and 75 percent having at least one malnourished child.
An Action Against Hunger staff member based in Kadugli said: “Most medicines have been unavailable for two years, leaving communities without access to medical care, and many children are suffering from malnutrition. The scale of suffering, protection risks, and lack of essential services are alarming. Recently, we have seen many families displaced from Kadugli and fleeing to other areas of Kordofan. Others have fled to the refugee camp on the border between South Kordofan and South Sudan. They face many dangers when leaving, such as theft, detention, and impediments to crossing into the camp.”
Action Against Hunger continues to deploy health and nutrition teams, rehabilitate sanitation centers and health facilities, and conduct awareness-raising sessions to prevent and address sexual and gender-based violence in South Kordofan, including in Kadugli. The organization is also preparing to distribute cash assistance to 500 households in Kadugli.
Action Against Hunger urgently calls on the international community to:
- Ensure the protection of civilians and humanitarian personnel in the Kordofan region
- Allow safe passage for people fleeing besieged and conflict-affected areas
- Guarantee humanitarian access to besieged areas and unhindered access to the region as whole
- Increase flexible funding for both local response teams and international organizations.
