Sudan’s El Obeid overwhelmed by displaced families despite RSF siege

July 10, 2026 (EL OBEID) – Tens of thousands of newly displaced people are pouring into the North Kordofan state capital of El Obeid, aid officials said on Friday, despite a tightening blockade and frequent drone strikes by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

International aid organizations warned of a looming humanitarian catastrophe in the city, which is surrounded by the RSF on three sides in a virtual siege. The military layout has fueled fears of a major assault and abuses similar to those documented in El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur state.

The RSF drone campaign has systematically targeted infrastructure and the sole remaining supply route, a highway linking El Obeid to Kosti in neighbouring White Nile state.

Burned-out commercial trucks line the roadside, disrupting supply chains and causing commodity prices to spike inside the city.

Despite the security risks, El Obeid remains a primary sanctuary for civilians fleeing RSF-controlled territory in South Kordofan and West Kordofan states.

An official from the regional Humanitarian Aid Commission told Sudan Tribune that more than 11,000 families, roughly 60,000 individuals, arrived in the city between March and June alone.

The influx has swelled El Obeid’s population to approximately 3.2 million people, nearly half of whom are now displaced and living in eight makeshift camps or with local families. Before the war erupted in mid-April 2023, the city’s population was around 750,000.

The humanitarian crisis is compounded by a near-total collapse of the local economy.

“My family receives basic food rations, but there is no work to pay for our other basic needs,” said Maryan, a displaced woman who fled from Alouba, south of the city. She said domestic work has dried up as local residents face their own financial strain.

The city’s industrial sector has also been crippled. El Obeid houses more than 80 oil presses and factories, but most have shut down due to a halt in groundnut imports from West Kordofan and severe power shortages.

Abbas, a displaced labourer from Al-Dubaibat, said he found work at one of the few operational oil mills until a recent drone strike hit the facility. “The factory stopped operating, and I lost my job overnight,” he said.

Local industry sources said RSF drones recently struck eight fuel stations inside the city and others along the eastern highway to White Nile state.

The attacks have triggered a severe fuel shortage, driving black market gasoline prices to 100,000 Sudanese pounds (about $20) per gallon.