"Plan International" has issued a warning about the deteriorating humanitarian crisis facing hundreds of thousands in Al-Obeid, North Kordofan, Sudan. The city is grappling with a cholera outbreak, severe food and clean water shortages, and a continuous influx of displaced people fleeing ongoing conflict.
In a report released on Friday, the organization highlighted that children are at the center of this crisis, increasingly vulnerable to disease, malnutrition, displacement, and the loss of education amid declining essential services and worsening living conditions.
Al-Obeid, now a sanctuary for tens of thousands escaping fighting in Kordofan and Darfur, is overwhelmed with the number of displaced individuals. The city's infrastructure and health services are unable to support the burgeoning population.
According to Mohamed Kamal, Plan International's Country Director in Sudan, the city faces a complex crisis where cholera, hunger, and water scarcity overlap. Food supplies are dwindling, and clean water is scarce, increasing the risk of waterborne diseases, particularly cholera.
Hundreds of families are arriving daily at overcrowded displacement sites lacking basic services. Humanitarian organizations struggle to meet rising needs, and continuous fighting is likely to worsen the civilian plight.
Plan International noted that children bear the brunt of the crisis, facing increased disease and malnutrition risks, alongside psychological trauma from the conflict. Some are at risk of being recruited by armed groups.
Women and girls face additional risks when searching for water or firewood, with rising concerns of gender-based violence. As the fighting continues, thousands of children are deprived of education and essential services.
The organization urged the international community for urgent humanitarian support in Al-Obeid, ensuring unhindered delivery of aid and strengthening water, sanitation, and healthcare services. Immediate action is needed to contain the cholera outbreak and protect children before the crisis escalates further.
This warning comes as battles continue in the Kordofan region, with growing displacement waves and pressure on host cities, amid limited resources and a decline in international funding for humanitarian responses. This indicates further deterioration in living and health conditions for hundreds of thousands of civilians.