Sudan: UN reports ongoing heavy bombardment in Southern Kordofan

The situation in Sudan’s Southern Kordofan state has remained unpredictable with heavy bombardment continuing in and around the main town, Kadugli, and in a second one to the north-east, the United Nations humanitarian office reported today.

The ongoing bombing of Delami town had caused the displacement of more than 2,000 people, Elisabeth Byrs, spokesperson for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), told reporters in Geneva.

According to the Sudanese Government’s Humanitarian Aid Commission, the number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Southern Kordofan has decreased significantly from 73,000, but Ms. Byrs said OCHA had no information on how many people remained displaced.

Preliminary results of an assessment undertaken in Kadugli town indicated that the most urgent humanitarian needs are food, water, medical services and shelter for those displaced. Aid workers have also reported that key access roads and bridges require immediate repair, and that mine clearance is critical.

Ms. Byrs also said that the $620 million appeal for humanitarian operations in South Sudan – which became an independent nation on Saturday – is only 34 per cent funded. The appeal will be revised on 20 July.

Troops from Sudan have in recent weeks clashed with armed groups aligned with South Sudan in South Kordofan, sparking a humanitarian crisis as thousands of people fled from the fighting in and around the town of Kadugli.

The Governments of Sudan and South Sudan signed an agreement in Ethiopia on 28 June on border security and a joint political and security arrangement for Southern Kordofan.