The Sudanese city of El Obeid is facing a critical humanitarian crisis, with a relentless influx of internally displaced people (IDPs) fleeing the ongoing civil war. The situation has become increasingly dire, with the city and its surrounding camps struggling to accommodate the growing number of displaced individuals.
The conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has displaced over 11.3 million people more than a fifth of Sudan’s population. El Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan province, has become a focal point for those seeking refuge, with over 15,000 families arriving since mid-July alone.
Overcrowding and Trauma in El Obeid
Maryam, a humanitarian volunteer, describes the situation as shockingly overcrowded. “The situation is very harsh and is deteriorating as El Obeid is receiving IDPs on a daily basis,” she said. The new arrivals, who come on foot carrying almost nothing, suffer from a severe shortage of food and arrive traumatized.
The city, which was home to around half a million people before the war, is now struggling to provide basic necessities. Tens of thousands of people are living in tented camps around El Obeid. Satellite data analysis by the Yale Humanitarian Research Lab revealed that 800 new tents appeared in one of the camps between 4 and 25 August.
Drone Strikes and Violence
The conflict has been marked by a surge in drone strikes with both sides using them extensively. The RSF’s drone strikes on El Obeid and nearby areas in June led the UN to warn of a potential repeat of the atrocities seen in El Fasher where over 10,000 people were massacred in.
Nohad Eltayeb, who monitors Sudan for Acled a conflict tracking group, noted that drones now account for half of all violent incidents, up from 4% at the start of the war. The RSF’s usage of drones has become more volatile, particularly since the US war with Iran began to interrupt supply lines in February.
Despite a slight decrease in the number of strikes, drones continue to kill and injure civilians. Volunteers in El Obeid have reported an increase in “double-tap” drone strikes, where a second drone follows the first, hitting rescuers at the scene. “It is hard, so hard, living with this, hearing the sound of a drone hitting somewhere,” Maryam said. “It’s very disturbing.”
Infrastructure and Sanitation Challenges
The infrastructure in El Obeid has been severely impacted by the conflict. The main water source in the north of the city has been damaged and has not been repaired. As a result, both the city and the IDP camps rely on water trucking, which is insufficient to meet the needs of the growing population.
Esperanza Santos, an emergency coordinator in Sudan for Médecins Sans Frontières highlighted the poor sanitation conditions in the camps. “In terms of sanitation, it’s very, very bad. It’s not enough. The ratio of latrines per person is impossible – there are more than 100 people for a latrine. So basically there is open defecation,” she said.
The food prices have also skyrocketed due to threats to delivery trucks. In North Kordofan in July, a litre of groundnut oil cost 17,000 Sudanese pounds (£21), up from 13,000 in June and 7,700 a year ago. The prices of wheat flour and goat and sheep meat have also more than doubled in the last year.
Despite the overwhelming challenges, local volunteers like Maryam remain committed to helping the displaced population. “The situation is deteriorating, but we are trying to stay together, to stay strong in the face of the drone attacks and the influx of IDPs,” she said. “We are living with this and we hope things will become better.”
