Drone Attacks, Siege Leave Half A Million At Risk In Sudan's El Obeid

More than half a million civilians in Sudan's strategic city of El Obeid face an imminent risk of atrocity crimes as the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) tighten their siege, leaving residents trapped by escalating drone attacks, collapsing infrastructure and dwindling access to food, fuel and clean water, United Nations officials have warned.

Speaking during an urgent debate of the UN Human Rights Council on July 3, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said civilians in El Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan state, had endured "siege-like conditions" for the past 18 months as fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the RSF intensified around the city.

"Civilians have been subjected to siege-like conditions for 18 months, battered by relentless drone strikes as the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces battle for control over areas surrounding the city," Türk said.

The UN Human Rights Office documented 15 drone strikes on El Obeid and surrounding areas between June 6 and June 28, killing at least 45 civilians and injuring 41. Türk said the actual toll across the wider Kordofan region was likely higher, with drones launched by both sides striking markets, schools, fuel stations, water infrastructure and civilian vehicles.

City Under Siege

El Obeid, a key humanitarian hub linking central Sudan, Darfur and South Kordofan, has become increasingly isolated as the conflict spreads across the Kordofan region.

Addressing the Human Rights Council, Mona Rishmawi, a member of the UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission for Sudan, said the city's estimated 500,000 residents, along with more than 100,000 internally displaced people sheltering there, face an increasingly precarious situation.

"Fear is pervasive — fear for their own fate and for the fate of their city," Rishmawi said, warning that videos circulated on social media by accounts affiliated with the RSF appeared to show preparations for an assault on El Obeid.

She said the danger extended beyond the prospect of a direct military offensive. Previous RSF campaigns in places such as El Fasher had followed a similar pattern of encirclement, aid restrictions, attacks on infrastructure and indiscriminate violence against civilians.

The Fact-Finding Mission has documented summary executions, abductions, torture, conflict-related sexual violence and widespread looting along displacement routes across the Kordofan region. Those remaining in El Obeid also risk arbitrary arrest and detention, particularly people who fled RSF-controlled areas and are suspected of collaborating with opposing forces.

Deepening Humanitarian Crisis

The UN Population Fund (UNFPA) reported that 21 drone-related incidents were recorded across North Kordofan between July 1 and July 19, causing civilian casualties, damaging essential infrastructure and further limiting access to basic services. The agency said it urgently requires an additional $1.83 million to expand assistance for conflict-affected women and girls.

Fuel and water shortages have compounded the crisis. According to the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, RSF drone attacks damaged at least 13 fuel stations in El Obeid and El Rahad, disrupting access to clean water, healthcare, food supplies and transport.

Türk warned that water shortages were becoming critical as the rainy season increased the risk of disease outbreaks, including cholera.

"An influx of tens of thousands of people fleeing violence in other parts of Kordofan is straining resources even further," he said. "Some people are selling their belongings to finance their escape from the city. For many, the exorbitant cost of transport and constant attacks on vehicles along exit roads make leaving impossible."

Sexual Violence And Atrocity Risks

George Katrougalos, Chair of the Coordination Committee of the UN Special Procedures, said women and girls continued to bear a disproportionate burden of the conflict.

Citing a recent UN Human Rights Office report, he said rape, gang rape, sexual slavery, forced marriage and other forms of sexual violence had been used systematically as tactics of war and terror, often targeting civilians based on their ethnicity or perceived affiliation.

UN Issues 'Red Alert'

Türk warned that the international community must act urgently to prevent a repeat of the atrocities witnessed in El Fasher and the Zamzam displacement camp.

"This is not a drill, it is a red alert that needs to land on the desks of heads of state and government around the world," he said.

The High Commissioner urged the UN Security Council and world leaders to use their influence to prevent an RSF offensive on El Obeid, halt attacks on civilians and critical infrastructure, stem the flow of weapons and ensure all parties comply with international humanitarian law.