UN decries ‘alarming’ Sudan crisis as shelling hits camp, funds dry up

July 9, 2025 (UNITED NATIONS) – The United Nations on Wednesday described the humanitarian situation in Sudan’s North Darfur as “alarming,” citing a deadly shelling attack on a displacement camp where famine was declared last year and warning that a severe funding shortfall is crippling aid efforts.

Fighting between warring factions continues to drive civilians from their homes, with a recent shelling on Tuesday hitting a market area inside the Abu Shouk camp, killing three people and injuring many more, U.N. Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said.

“This tragic incident is another reminder of the toll this conflict is taking on civilians,” Dujarric told reporters at a daily briefing.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported that over 3,200 people had already fled the Abu Shouk camp and parts of El Fasher between June 26 and July 6. The violence is also worsening in the Kordofan region, where IOM said nearly 800 people were displaced from Bara in North Kordofan just last week.

Despite the escalating conflict and the looming threat of flash floods, U.N. agencies and their partners are struggling to provide assistance. In North Darfur, aid workers are supporting over 1.7 million people with basic healthcare, but medical supplies are “running critically low,” Dujarric said.

A U.N.-led humanitarian convoy carrying 180 metric tonnes of relief supplies for nearly 400,000 people crossed into Darfur from Chad on July 6. However, the overall aid operation is facing a dire lack of resources.

“This year’s $4.2 billion response plan for Sudan is less than 25 per cent funded,” Dujarric stated, noting that halfway through the year, only $917 million has been received.

The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reiterated its call for safe and unimpeded humanitarian access. It urged the international community to increase its support for the millions of vulnerable people in Sudan. The situation is further complicated by the onset of the rainy season, with heavy rains and rising dam waters triggering flash floods in Kassala State in eastern Sudan.