humanitarian high confidence
El Obeid Siege Intensifies; 5,500+ Children Among Displaced in Two Weeks
The RSF controlled all routes into El Obeid except the eastern approach by early July 2026, with a sustained drone campaign hitting hospitals, markets, schools, fuel depots, water infrastructure, and power stations — 16+ civilian and service targets damaged by OSINT count. The city had been without electricity for roughly a month by mid-July. Save the Children reported more than 11,000 people fled the area in the two weeks to July 6, including 5,500+ children, while up to 500,000 civilians were described as at risk. Al Jazeera and UN News drew explicit comparisons to El Fasher's October 2025 fall, in which 6,000+ people were killed in three days.
Media
Sources
- T2 Al Jazeera — El Obeid under siege by RSF: could this be Sudan's next El Fasher? Major middle_eastern
- T2 Al Jazeera — Over 5,500 children displaced by fighting in Sudan's el-Obeid, charity says Major middle_eastern
- T2 The National — Al Obeid in darkness as RSF maintains siege of key Sudan city Major international