Beyza Binnur Dönmez
17 July 2026•Update: 17 July 2026
The World Food Programme (WFP) on Friday warned that humanitarian needs in Sudan's El Obeid are rapidly outpacing available assistance as the city struggles to absorb a growing number of displaced people fleeing conflict.
After visiting the city, WFP Sudan Country Director Abdallah Alwardat told reporters in Geneva that El Obeid, originally home to around 500,000 to 600,000 people, is now hosting nearly twice that number as internally displaced people continue to arrive from North Kordofan, South Kordofan, West Kordofan and Darfur.
More than 120,000 displaced people are living in formal camps, while many others are staying with host families or in makeshift shelters, he said.
Alwardat described food, water and fuel shortages as major concerns, saying WFP is providing food assistance to more than 100,000 people in camps, but many others remain without adequate support.
He said fuel shortages have forced WFP to use its own truck fleet to transport food directly to distribution points after partners were unable to reach beneficiaries.
Alwardat said he witnessed families sharing reduced food rations with neighbors who had received nothing and met an elderly woman who said WFP assistance was her only source of food but was still insufficient.
Sudan is facing one of the world's worst hunger crises, with nearly 20 million people experiencing acute food insecurity, he said, warning that conditions will deteriorate further without additional funding.
