By Adel Abdel Rahim / Anadolu

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) warned on Sunday that the city of El Obeid, capital of North Kordofan state in southern Sudan, could become like El Fasher, capital of North Darfur state (west), due to attacks by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

This came in a video message by the head of the IOM mission in Sudan, Mohamed Refaat, broadcast by the organization on Sunday via the American platform X.

Refaat said: 'We are concerned that El Obeid could become like El Fasher, and if we do not do something, we will see another Fasher.'

For about a month, El Obeid has seen drone attacks by the RSF, targeting the main power plant, fuel stations, and other civilian sites, killing and wounding dozens of people.

According to local and international institutions, the RSF's takeover of El Fasher on October 26, 2025, was accompanied by accusations of widespread violations against civilians, amid warnings of cementing a de facto geographic division of the country.

On October 29, RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (Hemedti) acknowledged 'excesses' in El Fasher and announced the formation of investigation committees.

The head of the IOM mission in Sudan added in the video that 'more than 500,000 people in El Obeid are in need of humanitarian assistance.'

He noted that 'the Shelter Cluster in Sudan (under IOM) faces a severe funding shortage, limiting support to families.'

On Friday, the United Nations warned of a new humanitarian catastrophe in human rights in El Obeid, calling on the RSF to halt attacks on the city.

For a month, El Obeid has seen drone attacks by the RSF, targeting the main power station, fuel stations, and other civilian sites, killing and wounding dozens of people.

Meanwhile, UN, regional, and international organizations, including the United States, have warned of atrocities that could be committed amid reports of RSF military build-ups around El Obeid.

On May 12, the UN warned of escalating drone attacks in Kordofan, saying the strikes killed at least 880 civilians between January and April 2026.

The three states of the Kordofan region (North, West, and South) have been witnessing fierce clashes between the Sudanese army and the RSF since October 25.

The humanitarian crisis in Sudan is worsening due to the war between the army and the RSF, ongoing since April 2023 over a dispute on military integration, which has left tens of thousands dead and nearly 13 million displaced.