Arab League Secretary-General Nabil Fahmy has called for intensified international efforts to prevent Sudan’s Al Obeid from descending into a wider humanitarian and security crisis, accusing the Paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of targeting civilian infrastructure.
Nabil Fahmy said more than 500,000 civilians, including tens of thousands of displaced people, were under siege and facing sustained drone attacks on markets, schools, hospitals, and water and electricity facilities.
He warned that the escalating violence risked repeating atrocities seen in Al Fasher and urged regional and international partners to support an inclusive Sudanese-led political dialogue.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) also warned that Sudan’s Al Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan State, could face the same humanitarian catastrophe as Al Fasher if attacks by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) continue.
In a video message, IOM Sudan Chief of Mission Mohamed Refaat said more than 500,000 people in Al Obeid urgently need humanitarian assistance, while the IOM-led Shelter Cluster remains severely underfunded.
On Monday, July 6, the United Nations Human Rights Council adopted a resolution calling for an urgent investigation into alleged violations against civilians in Al Obeid. Sudan has been at war since April 2023, with fighting between the army and the RSF causing one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, leaving tens of thousands dead and nearly 13 million people displaced.
