Khartoum – Sudan Now | May 19, 2026

 

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has warned of worsening humanitarian and security conditions across Sudan’s Darfur and Kordofan regions amid ongoing fighting, airstrikes, and growing violence affecting civilians and humanitarian access.

 

In its latest report covering March and April 2026, UNHCR described conditions in the two regions as “highly volatile”, citing continued civilian casualties, rising displacement, and mounting obstacles facing humanitarian operations.

 

The agency said a truck transporting emergency shelter supplies to Tawila in North Darfur was struck by a drone attack on April 24, resulting in the destruction of aid intended for more than 1,300 displaced families. The driver survived the attack without injuries.

 

According to the report obtained by Sudan Now, insecurity along major routes, particularly between El Fasher, Korma, and Tawila, continues to disrupt civilian movement and delay humanitarian assistance deliveries.

 

UNHCR said thousands of displaced people across Darfur and Kordofan are facing worsening shortages of food, healthcare, shelter, and basic services, while overcrowding in displacement sites and deteriorating security conditions are increasing risks ahead of the rainy season.

 

In West Kordofan, protection teams identified large numbers of unaccompanied children, alongside limited access to healthcare, food assistance, and psychosocial support services.

 

The report also highlighted repeated fires in displacement sites across Darfur, leading to renewed displacement and the loss of shelters amid limited humanitarian response capacity.

 

According to UNHCR, Darfur states currently host around 63 percent of Sudan’s internally displaced population, while displacement from North and South Kordofan into neighboring states, including White Nile State, continues.

 

Many displaced families remain within their home states, placing additional pressure on host communities, temporary gathering sites, and already fragile public services, the agency said.

 

UNHCR added that humanitarian partners distributed around 5,000 non-food relief kits across Darfur and Kordofan, including shelter materials and essential household supplies, in addition to providing limited cash assistance to some displaced households.

 

The report also documented cases of sexual violence against women and girls in parts of Central and North Darfur amid shortages in medical and psychosocial services, while humanitarian organizations continue to warn of widening protection gaps in conflict-affected areas.

 

Since the outbreak of war between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in April 2023, Darfur and Kordofan have become among the regions hardest hit by the conflict, with escalating violence, mass displacement, and the collapse of essential services and infrastructure.

 

Humanitarian organizations continue to face growing difficulties delivering aid because of insecurity, attacks on supply routes, and movement restrictions, while UN agencies repeatedly warn of a deepening humanitarian crisis across Sudan.