El Obeid – Sudan Now | 7 January 2026
Local sources have revealed a massive displacement affecting over 600 families from Al-Sarha village, located east of Barah city in North Kordofan state, following an attack by an armed militia that resulted in the complete looting of the village and the forced displacement of its residents.
Sources confirmed that dozens of families have reached El Obeid city on foot in extremely dire humanitarian conditions, exhausted and struggling, while hundreds of citizens remain stranded on rough roads as they attempt to flee to safer areas.
Eyewitnesses who fled the village reported widespread violations, including threats with weapons and the looting of property, which forced residents to leave their homes in fear.
For his part, social activist Zuhair Hashem described the events in Al-Sarha village as a “fully-fledged crime of forced displacement,” warning of a worsening humanitarian situation and calling for urgent intervention by humanitarian organizations to aid the displaced and stranded families.
Hashem added that targeting safe villages, looting civilians’ property, and leaving them exposed amounts to a blatant violation of international humanitarian law and human norms.
This incident comes as attacks on villages and rural areas in North Kordofan state have been increasing, amid the ongoing war in Sudan since April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the RSF militia.
In recent months, the state has witnessed repeated waves of displacement due to attacks and a lack of protection, placing increasing pressure on El Obeid city and other areas hosting the displaced, amid severe shortages of food, healthcare, and shelter, with warnings of a deepening humanitarian crisis if the situation persists.
