Sunday, September 20, 2026

📍 From the Field The "Africa Eye" website reported today from Sudanese humanitarian organisations that drought, weak rainfall and the failure of the agricultural season destroyed about 90% of crops in some northern areas of West Kordofan State, with a sharp rise in food prices due to disrupted transport and insecurity, while representatives of the displaced said that more than 2,300 new displaced people — most of them women and children — had arrived in Tawila in North Darfur fleeing fighting and deteriorating livelihoods. In a UN update, Deputy Spokesman for the UN Secretary-General Farhan Haq said that about 100,000 people had been displaced in Blue Nile State since last January, an increase of 66% since late May, and that more than 7,000 people had arrived in Al-Abbasiya in South Kordofan from neighbouring villages during recent weeks, while the International Organization for Migration recorded the displacement of about 1,200 people from two villages in El Fasher between September 10 and 13 and the displacement of more than 1,200 others from the Umm Baro area — most of them crossed the border into Chad — and OCHA stated that drone strikes displaced thousands last weekend in Blue Nile and North and West Darfur. And the Acting Executive Director of the World Food Programme, Carl Skau, said after an eight-day field visit that included El Obeid, El Fasher and Tawila, that he saw in Tawila hundreds of thousands who had fled El Fasher living in an "endless expanse of grass huts" receiving only half rations, and that the El Obeid–El Fasher journey by car took three days after it had been six hours, while the International Organization for Migration warned that stocks of the joint humanitarian supply pipeline would run out within two weeks without additional funding.

1️⃣ Drone war over North Kordofan: Downings and accusations The Sudanese Armed Forces announced that its air defences intercepted two hostile long-range drones of the FH-95 type over North Kordofan — the first in the Al-Jarjira area and the second over Barah — according to two statements by the military spokesman reported by the "Convene" website today, after the Armed Forces announced via its official page the downing of a drone of the same type north of the Al-Kuwaikti area in the state. This came after the army accused the Rapid Support Forces of launching attacks with suicide drones on Saturday evening on the city of El Obeid, which it said hit Al-Daman Hospital, residential neighbourhoods and service facilities, and described them as a "moral defeat," while "Sudan Tribune" reported from eyewitnesses hearing strong explosions near the main base and the interception of at least ten drones, and "Eastleigh Voice" reported that similar drones targeted at dawn on Sunday military sites in Kosti, including the headquarters of the 18th Infantry Division; the Rapid Support Forces did not comment on the accusations. (Sources: Sudanese Armed Forces via Convene; Sudan Tribune; Eastleigh Voice) 💡 Quick reading: [Analysis] The sky has become a second front in Kordofan — and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights says drones killed more than a thousand civilians in the first five months of 2026 alone.

2️⃣ Khartoum, Washington and New York: Diplomacy to the rhythm of war Senior government sources revealed to "Sudan Tribune" on Saturday that Khartoum is studying formal measures in response to meetings held in Nairobi between British and Japanese officials and Rapid Support Forces leaders regarding humanitarian affairs, and considered them "with Kenyan participation" and in violation of UN Security Council and African Peace and Security Council resolutions. In contrast, U.S. advisor Massad Boulos renewed in an interview with "Sky News Arabia" the call for a 90-day humanitarian truce allowing unimpeded access for aid, saying the war "cannot be settled militarily," and announced a U.S. contribution of $375 million to support OCHA and the World Food Programme. The President of the Sovereignty Council, Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, is preparing to lead Sudan's delegation to the 81st session of the UN General Assembly in New York and deliver an address on September 24, while Foreign Minister Mohieddin Salem travelled early to hold meetings including a meeting with the UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Tom Fletcher, ahead of the start of the high-level week on September 22. (Sources: Sudan Tribune; Sky News Arabia; Sudan Horizon) 💡 Quick reading: [Analysis] Khartoum is mobilising its field momentum in Kordofan and Blue Nile to translate it into diplomatic influence in New York — but Al-Burhan's address on September 24 will be measured by what changes on the ground after it, not by what is said on the platform.

3️⃣ New humanitarian alarm: 90% of crops lost in West Kordofan and the relief pipeline about to run out Sudanese humanitarian organisations said drought, weak rainfall and the failure of the agricultural season destroyed about 90% of crops in some northern areas of West Kordofan State with a sharp rise in food prices, while more than 2,300 new displaced people — most of them women and children — arrived in Tawila in North Darfur (Source: Local humanitarian organisations via Africa Eye). The International Organization for Migration warned that stocks of the joint humanitarian supply pipeline — on which more than 100 humanitarian organisations depend — could run out within two weeks due to weak funding, while the UN High Commissioner for Refugees says the humanitarian response for Sudan is funded at only 16%, with 8.6 million internally displaced people and 4.9 million registered returnees as of September 18, according to UN agencies. (Sources: Africa Eye; International Organization for Migration; UN High Commissioner for Refugees; United Nations) 💡 Quick reading: [Analysis] War, drought and funding shortages together — a triple equation pushing widening parts of Sudan towards the brink of humanitarian collapse before the end of the month.

— Editorial Team