Dilling – Sudan Now | 20 December 2025
The Center for Modern African Studies has issued a warning over a serious deterioration in humanitarian conditions in Dilling, South Kordofan State, following a sharp military escalation in the city over recent days. The escalation has resulted in civilian deaths and injuries, as well as widespread internal displacement, amid growing fears of a collapse in the capacity to meet the population’s basic needs.
The center said, in a humanitarian situation assessment report based on direct field monitoring, credible local testimonies, data from medical networks, and reports by international organizations, that the city of Dilling had come under repeated bombardment over the past 48 hours, targeting densely populated residential neighborhoods with heavy artillery, multiple rocket launchers, and drones.
According to the report obtained by Sudan Now, the shelling killed 17 civilians, including women and children, and wounded 36 others with varying degrees of injury, some of them described as critical. Local medical sources confirmed that the attacks struck homes and residential areas inside the city.
The report noted that more than 140 shells fell over a two-day period, including mortar rounds of various calibers and Katyusha rocket launcher, in addition to drone strikes targeting sites close to residential neighborhoods, significantly heightening the risks to civilians.
Regarding displacement, the report estimated that more than 2,000 people have been displaced within the city in search of safer areas, in addition to the displacement of over 1,000 families to neighborhoods that have not yet been directly affected by the shelling, placing growing pressure on host communities.
The report also stated that at least 10 homes sustained severe partial damage, resulting in the loss of one or more rooms in each house, rendering them unsafe for habitation amid the continued bombardment.
As for living conditions, the center said the city is experiencing a severe shortage of cash and a near-total halt in daily economic activity due to persistent fears of being targeted. This has led to a marked deterioration in food security, particularly among displaced families, and the reemergence of begging, especially among women and children.
The report noted that the ongoing violence in South Kordofan has forced thousands of civilians to flee their homes, with escalating risks for women, children, and the elderly amid a lack of adequate humanitarian response.
The report, citing field sources, local testimonies, and media reports, held the RSF and the SPLM-N responsible for carrying out the intense shelling of Dilling, in the context of the ongoing conflict with the Sudanese Armed Forces.
The report highlighted that the pattern of shelling and targeting of residential neighborhoods may constitute serious violations of international humanitarian law, particularly the principles of distinction between civilians and combatants and the proportionality of force, which international human rights organizations have warned against.
The Modern African Studies Center called for an immediate halt to the targeting of residential areas, the opening of safe humanitarian corridors within the city, and urgent intervention by international humanitarian organizations to provide food, shelter, and emergency assistance. The center also urged the activation of independent international monitoring and documentation mechanisms to hold those responsible for violations accountable.
