Hundreds of thousands at risk in Sudan’s West Kordofan due to lack of humanitarian access, says UN

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Sudan (OCHA) has warned that the lives of hundreds of thousands of people in West Kordofan are at risk due to the lack of humanitarian access.

In a statement issued yesterday, OCHA said that continued fighting between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which intensified in West Kordofan at the beginning of May and later spread to parts of South and North Kordofan, has worsened insecurity and disrupted the delivery of aid.

“Without urgent, safe and sustained humanitarian access, the lives of hundreds of thousands in the Kordofan region hang in the balance,” OCHA cautioned.

The statement added that the conflict has led to large-scale displacement and blocked humanitarian routes. It also warned that recent heavy shelling has worsened the humanitarian crisis, leaving thousands of civilians trapped without food, water, or medical care.

OCHA explained that North, West, and South Kordofan serve as key corridors for transporting aid to Darfur. However, needs within Kordofan itself are growing, particularly in areas facing the threat of famine.

The agency also pointed out that insecurity, shifting frontlines and the long distances from main logistical hubs such as Port Sudan and the Adre border crossing are major obstacles to delivering aid.

Port Sudan, located on Sudan’s eastern Red Sea coast, is the country’s main humanitarian hub, housing the seaport, airport, and United Nations offices.