At least 80 people have been killed in the recent eruption of violence in southern Sudan, according to the United Nations.
The violence broke out last week in the states of South Kordofan and Blue Nile.
The fighting has devastated South Kordofan’s capital, Kadugli, where the UN’s humanitarian coordinator in Sudan, Clementine Nkweta-Salami, confirmed at least 80 deaths.
She condemned reports of women and children being used as human shields and called attention to the obstruction of humanitarian aid.
Since April 2023, General Abdel Fattah al Burhan’s army and the Rapid Support Forces have been engaged in a deadly conflict for control of the country.
The escalating violence has made the already dire humanitarian crisis even worse, with millions of people now cut off from life-saving assistance.
Food insecurity has reached alarming levels, particularly in South Kordofan, where families struggle with limited food supplies, leading to rising malnutrition rates.
Currently, half a million people in South Kordofan and Blue Nile are at risk of famine, with parts of the Nuba Mountains already facing famine, according to a UN-backed food security assessment.
The broader conflict since April 2023 has claimed tens of thousands of lives, displaced 12 million people, and left nearly 26 million others facing acute food insecurity.
The United Nations has warned that the situation could deteriorate further unless immediate action is taken.
