Port Sudan: eastern Sudan's Red Sea gateway, chief seaport, capital of Red Sea State
The fighting in Sudan’s El-Obeid has intensified as the SAF and RSF contest control, threatening civilians and humanitarian access. Drone strikes target infrastructure, worsening fuel, water shortages, and potentially triggering a new wave of displacement among El-Obeid’s half-million residents and nearby refugees.
UNICEF has issued its first Child Alert in 20 years for Darfur, saying children have been pushed into extreme hunger, disease, displacement and violence as fighting between Sudan's army and the RSF has intensified. The agency has warned that needs are larger than in 2005 and that international funding and access are dangerously low.
The U.N.-backed IPC has reported that 19.5 million Sudanese—over 40% of the population—are facing acute hunger in 2026, with 135,000 in catastrophic (Phase 5) conditions and 825,000 children expected to suffer severe acute malnutrition. Fighting, drone strikes and disrupted supply routes are blocking aid and will worsen conditions during the July planting season.
Sudanese authorities say Egyptian forces have detained hundreds of miners near the Sudan-Egypt border, with reports of casualties and seizures of mining equipment. Sudan’s leadership calls for investigation while experts highlight regional instability and the role of unregulated gold mining in fueling conflict.
The UN Human Rights Council is debating Sudan’s El-Obeid crisis after warnings of a fresh siege and potential atrocities. Volker Türk has described signs from El-Obeid as a clear red alert, urging world leaders to act amid 18 months of siege-like conditions and drone strikes affecting civilians and infrastructure. A draft resolution calls for an immediate ceasefire and humanitarian access.
A Port Sudan court has convicted RSF leader Dagalo, his brother, and 14 others of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide in absentia over the 2023 El Geneina violence. The verdict underscores a domestic push for accountability as the RSF still controls parts of western Sudan and the ICC maintains a parallel inquiry.