More than 5,500 children have been newly displaced by fighting around the strategic Sudanese city of el-Obeid, with thousands more at risk, the international charity Save the Children warned. The escalating conflict has created increasingly difficult living conditions for families in and around the besieged city, the charity stated.

El-Obeid, a city of over half a million people, has become a critical humanitarian hub for northwestern Sudan and the latest flashpoint in the civil war between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The RSF, which controls the Darfur region, has been besieging el-Obeid for months.

Families arriving at displacement sites and within local communities are struggling to access adequate shelter, clean water, healthcare, and education services. Overcrowding is intensifying pressure on already scarce resources. Save the Children highlighted that intensified drone attacks targeting the city have killed civilians and damaged civilian infrastructure, leading to severe fuel and water shortages.

"Throughout June, the situation… was extremely challenging – drones rained heavily in and around the city," a civilian named Emad, who lives in el-Obeid with his family, told Save the Children. He reported that approximately 11 fuel stations and multiple fuel and water tankers were hit.

The siege-like conditions and internal displacement have also worsened a seasonal cholera outbreak, with Sudan's State Ministry of Health confirming 300 cases. Save the Children expressed particular concern about the growing psychological impact on children, many of whom have witnessed violence, lost loved ones, or been forced to flee multiple times in recent years.

Across Sudan, children under 18 constitute about 55 percent of the country's displaced population. "For children, displacement is far more than the loss of a home," said Francesco Lanino, deputy country director for Save the Children in Sudan. "It often means losing access to school, healthcare, clean water and the support networks that help them feel safe and protected."

This situation echoes concerns raised by human rights groups following the RSF's seizure of Darfur's capital, el-Fasher, in October. After an 18-month siege, documented mass killings and sexual violence against civilians, including children, were reported. The United Nations and other rights organizations have warned that el-Obeid could face a similar fate.

The ongoing fighting and displacement in el-Obeid raise urgent questions about the protection of civilians, particularly children, and the capacity of humanitarian organizations to reach those in need amidst the escalating conflict.