Feb 3, 2026, 3:22 p.mFeb 3, 2026, 3:22 p.m
The Secretary General of the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), Jan Egeland, warns after a visit to the Sudanese region of South Kordofan that a “countdown to another mass death” is underway there a few months after the fall of the city of Al-Fasher in Darfur.
Relatives check the body bags of victims. (January 11, 2026)Image: AP
In the area, militias are besieging the towns of Kadugli and Dilling. There is hunger, especially in Kadugli, where the RSF militia has cut off all supply routes to the city for weeks. How many people are currently in the besieged city is unknown, Egeland told the German Press Agency (dpa).
Thousands of new arrivals in refugee camps every week
In the two refugee camps that Egeland visited last week in the Nuba Mountains in South Kordofan alone, a total of more than 160,000 people lived – almost exclusively women and children, since the men cannot or are not allowed to leave the besieged cities. “There are thousands of new arrivals every week,” he said.
Talks with the RSF to bring food convoys to Kadugli failed. Together with Sudanese aid organizations, food would be distributed to the refugees, reaching around 100,000 people.
People fill water containers at a free distribution point due to water outages in Khartoum, Sudan. (January 30, 2026)Image: AP
But given the lack of funding and the rainy season starting in May, this is a race against time, emphasized Egeland. Compared to the siege of Al-Fasher, there is “even less international attention and even less funding for humanitarian measures” for the people of South Kordofan. There is a risk of “a famine of biblical proportions,” warned Egeland.
Hope for Berlin donor conference
In mid-April, an international donor conference in Berlin on the third anniversary of the civil war in Sudan will discuss financial commitments for humanitarian aid in the country. “This is a very welcome initiative from Germany,” said Egeland. “But we now need commitments to be able to buy food.” Otherwise, given the rainy season and the impassable roads, the money might only be used at a time when it is too late for many people.
With around twelve million refugees, malnutrition and hunger in Sudan, the UN speaks of the largest humanitarian crisis in the world.
The El-Afadh refugee camp in Al-Dabbah in the northern state of Sudan. (November 16, 2025)Image: AP
Reports of breaking the siege
There appear to be signs of hope, at least for the besieged towns – a military spokesman reported that government troops had managed to break the siege of Kadugli and Dilling. Cheering people could be seen on social media celebrating the soldiers. Sudanese activists also confirmed the arrival of government soldiers in the two cities. (sda/dpa)