UN Confirms Surge in Violence Claims Over 80 Lives

Imminent Disaster Looms Over Southern Sudan as Violence Intensifies

By Balaleti On Apr 13, 2025

In a somber reminder of the fragile state of peace, the United Nations issued a stark warning Thursday, drawing attention to two tragically beleaguered regions in southern Sudan on the cusp of catastrophe. South Kordofan and Blue Nile, battered by a surge in deadly conflict, lie at the heart of this burgeoning disaster.Renewed hostilities have exploded in recent weeks between Sudan’s military forces and a splinter group of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N), led by the contentious Abdel Aziz al-Hilu. Kadugli, the capital of South Kordofan, has witnessed an alarming loss of life, with reports suggesting that at least 80 people have perished in the devastating clashes.”I am deeply disturbed by the alleged use of women and children as human shields within Kadugli, coupled with the hindrance of humanitarian efforts and the unlawful detention of non-combatants, including innocent children,” expressed Clementine Nkweta-Salami, the U.N.’s resident and humanitarian coordinator in Sudan. Her statement resounded with urgency, highlighting a moral outrage unfolding within one of the world’s most troubled corners.

“Without peace, all other dreams vanish and are reduced to illusions,” once articulated a visionary leader. Is not the world reminded of these words when chaos reigns supreme?

Amidst this turmoil, Sudan’s army finds itself embroiled in a protracted struggle for dominance against the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). This ongoing conflict, stretching back to April 2023, has exacted a toll on the nation’s soul—a once-vibrant tapestry now threaded with suffering.

Hilu’s SPLM-N faction, acting independently, has locked horns with both military mights since the war erupted. Tensions simmer as both sides level accusations of aggression and civilian targeting, attempting to seize prized territories amid the chaos.

Could the U.N.’s ominous warning of escalating violence exacerbate an already untenable humanitarian crisis? It appears unavoidable as millions remain stranded, cut off from desperately needed relief. “South Kordofan teeters precariously on the edge of disaster, with families surviving on perilously limited food supplies amid sharply escalating malnutrition,” lamented a U.N. statement issued Thursday.

The dire scarcity of food has overshadowed daily life for an estimated half-million souls standing at the brink of famine in these southern Sudanese regions. Particularly concerning is the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification report, revealing pangs of hunger gripping parts of the Nuba Mountains—an SPLM-N stronghold.

Tragically, the fires of conflict since April 2023 have extinguished the lives of tens of thousands, displacing 12 million individuals from homes that once cradled dreams and hopes. Nearly 26 million teeter on the edge of acute food insecurity—an unforgiving reality for those ensnared in this vortex of travail.