Cholera, Hunger Threaten Hundreds of Thousands in El-Obeid

Plan International has issued a warning that hundreds of thousands of civilians in El-Obeid, North Kordofan state in Sudan, are confronting an intensifying humanitarian emergency. The crisis is driven by a cholera outbreak, worsening food insecurity, severe shortages of clean water, and continued influxes of displaced people into the city—straining infrastructure and services already under pressure from ongoing conflict.

The compound crisis in El-Obeid

According to a report released by the organization, children are at the epicenter of the emergency. They face mounting risks of illness, malnutrition, displacement, and educational deprivation, alongside deteriorating access to essential services and deepening hardship in daily living conditions.

The report states that El-Obeid has become a refuge over recent months for tens of thousands fleeing fighting in Kordofan and Darfur. This has led to extreme overcrowding in displacement sites, while health infrastructure and basic services remain unable to absorb the growing number of arrivals.

Interlocking threats: cholera, hunger, water scarcity

Mohamed Kamal, Plan International’s Country Director in Sudan, stated in the report that the city faces a complex, interwoven crisis involving cholera, hunger, and water scarcity. He noted that food supplies are depleting rapidly and clean water has become scarce—heightening the likelihood of waterborne disease transmission, with cholera at the forefront.

The report adds that hundreds of families arrive daily at overcrowded displacement sites lacking basic services. Humanitarian organizations, meanwhile, are encountering major difficulties in meeting rising needs. It warns that continued hostilities will further exacerbate civilian suffering.

Children bearing the heaviest burden

Plan International emphasized that children bear the greatest impact of the crisis. They face heightened risks of disease and malnutrition, as well as psychological trauma resulting from armed conflict. Some children are also at risk of recruitment by armed groups, the report states.

Women and girls confront additional dangers when collecting water or firewood, with increasing concerns about gender-based violence. Ongoing fighting is also depriving thousands of children of education and access to fundamental services, according to the report.

Call for urgent international action

The organization urged the international community to scale up immediate humanitarian support for El-Obeid, ensure unimpeded delivery of aid, and strengthen water, sanitation, and health services. It stressed that containing the cholera outbreak and protecting children demand an urgent response before the crisis expands further.

This warning comes as fighting continues across the Kordofan region, accompanied by rising displacement waves and mounting strain on host cities—against a backdrop of limited resources and declining international funding for the humanitarian response. That shortfall signals further deterioration in the living and health conditions of hundreds of thousands of civilians.