Nearly 100,000 displaced in Sudan’s Blue Nile state since January amid fighting: UN agency

Nearly 100,000 people have been displaced in Sudan’s southeastern Blue Nile state since January amid escalating fighting between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the UN International Organization for Migration (IOM) said Sunday.

The IOM said an estimated 99,277 people, representing 19,497 families, were displaced from different parts of Blue Nile state between Jan. 11 and Aug. 23, 2026.

The figure represents a 66% increase from the agency’s previous update on May 21, when 59,742 displaced people were recorded.

Nearly half of those displaced, or 47%, are children under the age of 18, the agency said.

The IOM said 39,570 people were displaced from Geissan locality, 32,515 from Kurmuk and 27,192 from Bau.

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The displaced population moved to seven locations across Blue Nile state, including Damazin, which received 45,740 people, and Geissan, which received 15,735.

The agency said 58% of the displaced are staying at informal gathering sites, while 9% are living with host families and 33% are sheltering in schools and other public buildings.

Blue Nile state has seen intensified fighting in recent days amid attacks by the RSF and its ally, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North, on several areas.

Sudan’s humanitarian crisis has continued to worsen since fighting erupted between the army and the RSF in April 2023 over disagreements related to the integration of the paramilitary force into the military.

The conflict has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced around 13 million, according to UN and international estimates.