The ongoing war in Sudan, now approaching its third year, has entered a particularly destructive phase as fighting intensifies across the Kordofan region. What began in April 2023 as a power struggle between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has evolved into the world’s largest humanitarian and displacement crisis, according to the United Nations, with civilians increasingly bearing the brunt of the conflict. The estimated death tally of the conflict ranges between 40,000 and 250,000 people.
Edem Wosornu, Director of the Crisis Response at the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, warned that in late 2025 Kordofan emerged as the new epicenter of fighting. Strategically located between army-held territories and RSF-controlled areas in Darfur and the south, the region has become a decisive battleground. RSF advances, including the capture of key towns and oil infrastructure, have shifted the war’s momentum and intensified siege conditions around cities such as Dilling and Kadugli. Residential neighborhoods have been shelled, drone strikes have increased, and basic infrastructure has been severely damaged. These developments have resulted in significant civilian casualties, leaving communities without access to food, healthcare, or assistance.
The use of explosive weapons in populated areas, particularly drones, has had devastating consequences. On 4 December, a kindergarten and a hospital were hit by drone strikes in Kalogi, South Kordofan, resulting in the death of more than 100 people, including 63 children. A week later, six Bangladeshi peacekeepers were killed and nine were injured following an attack at a UN logistics base in Kadugli.
Displacement has accelerated alongside the fighting. Around 14 million Sudanese have been forced to flee since the war began, with hundreds of thousands newly displaced from Kordofan and Darfur. Food insecurity has reached alarming levels: around 21.2 million people, nearly half of Sudan’s population, now faces acute hunger, with famine already declared in parts of Darfur and South Kordofan.
Moreover, civilians face pervasive insecurity through widespread human rights violations. Both warring parties have been accused of war crimes, including targeting civilians and suppressing perceived opponents. Reports indicate that SAF authorities have intensified mass detentions of individuals suspected of collaborating with the RSF, including humanitarian workers, while the RSF has been linked to systematic atrocities, particularly in Darfur.
International concern has grown, with the United States and the United Nations urging an immediate ceasefire. Yet diplomatic efforts have so far failed to halt the fighting. The latest proposal for a peace plan, which envisioned a complete RSF troops withdrawal from the controlled territories, was presented by Sudanese Prime Minister Kamil Idris to the UN Security Council, but immediately rejected by the RSF.
As Sudan’s war enters its deadliest stage to date, the consequences for civilians are dire: prolonged displacement, deepening hunger, widespread trauma, and the normalization of violence. Without sustained international engagement and accountability, the crisis in Kordofan risks becoming another symbol of a war defined by civilian suffering and global neglect.
