More than 67,000 displaced in Sudan’s Kordofan as conflict flares

January 6 2026 (KHARTOUM) – The United Nations’ International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Tuesday that 67,000 people have been forced from their homes in the Greater Kordofan region over recent weeks due to a surge in violence.

The Kordofan region currently hosts more than 1 million displaced persons, accounting for a significant portion of the 9.3 million people uprooted across Sudan. According to IOM data, the displaced are spread across 26 localities in the region’s three states, with 228,829 in North Kordofan, 385,850 in South Kordofan, and 413,544 in West Kordofan.

In its latest report, the IOM stated that approximately 64,890 people fled various sites in Kordofan between Oct. 25 and Dec. 30, 2025, as insecurity escalated. The displacement was particularly heavy in North Kordofan, where 42,780 individuals fled areas including Ar Rahad, Bara, Jabrat al-Sheikh, West Bara, Sheikan, Um Dam Haj Ahmed, and Um Ruwaba.

Kordofan has become a central battleground in the Sudanese conflict as the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) attempt to block military advances toward the Darfur region. In South Kordofan, the report documented 21,860 newly displaced people fleeing Al Abbasiya, Abu Jubayhah, Abu Karshola, Al-Reef Al-Sharqi, Delami, Dilling, Habila, Kadugli, Talodi, and Gadeer.

The migration agency also noted that 250 people were displaced from the town of Ghebeish in West Kordofan following a fire. On Monday, a further 2,000 people fled Sarha village in North Kordofan due to deteriorating security, while hundreds more escaped villages in Al Quoz and the city of Kadugli.

Humanitarian conditions in Kadugli and Dilling are nearing a breaking point. A long-running blockade by a coalition involving the RSF and the Abdelaziz al-Hilu faction of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) has left civilians without access to medicine, food, or essential services.