Testimonies of Displaced Sudanese Women from Kadugli: “The situation is dangerous; we left everything behind and fled for our lives”

“We couldn’t take anything with us from our homes in Kadugli. We left everything behind. We walked through the wilderness and were exposed to gunfire. We would lie on the ground and cover our children until the shooting stopped, then get up and continue walking. At one point, heavy artillery shells were fired at us.”

This is the testimony of one of the displaced women who arrived in Gedaref after an arduous journey fleeing violence in Kadugli, the capital of South Kordofan State.

In recent months, the Kordofan region has become a center of violence. Kadugli and the nearby city of Dilling are currently under siege, leaving civilians trapped in a spiral of violence, dwindling food supplies, and a total absence of healthcare.

Since late October 2025, the deteriorating security situation has displaced more than 88,000 people across Kordofan, including 1,100 people now seeking refuge in the Abu Al-Naja camp in Gedaref State. Most arrived with little to no belongings after fleeing through active conflict zones, only to face a new struggle for survival in makeshift shelters with minimal support services.

Diverse Services

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) team spoke with a woman in the Abu Al-Naja camp to understand her needs. Describing the grueling journey, she said: “Initially, there were five men with us, but only three arrived. One was killed on the road, and another was detained after they took our phones to inspect them; we haven’t heard anything about him since. We don’t know if he was killed or if he is still alive. They took everything from us.”

The UNFPA is on the ground in Gedaref, deploying mobile clinics to provide life-saving maternal health and family planning services. These clinics serve as a vital lifeline for those cut off from the formal health system, providing critical medical care and support for survivors of gender-based violence.

Shocking Testimonies

Mona Mohammed, another displaced woman, also spoke about the immense suffering in Kadugli: “Drones were attacking us. We were terrified, just trying to stay alive.”

She added: “We endured the siege for more than two years. Finally, we managed to leave and reach Gedaref. Thank God we arrived safely, but we lost many friends. Many people died.”

Mona was forced to flee Kadugli due to the violence and siege, arriving in Gedaref in search of safety. The journey was difficult; Mona and her companions had to travel on foot at times, and by motorcycles and boats at others. After 15 days, they reached the Al-Rahad area, from where they took a car to Gedaref.

Speaking about the gravity of the situation in Kadugli, she said: “We cannot go back to Kadugli. The situation there is extremely dangerous, and they have destroyed our homes. We have nothing to go back to. We hope the war ends so we can return one day.”

Facilitating Aid Access

As violence continues in Kordofan and more families are displaced daily, the UNFPA urgently calls for rapid, unhindered humanitarian access and the protection of both civilians and health workers.

The UNFPA warned that without sustained international support, the cost of inaction is rising. Every day the world’s response is delayed, another woman gives birth under fire, buries a child lost to hunger, or disappears without justice.