Médecins Sans Frontières: El Obeid Residents Face Water Shortages and the Risk of a Cholera Outbreak

The Emergency Coordinator for Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), Liz Piet Barbrieth, said that she has not observed any large-scale movement of people leaving El Obeid for the neighboring White Nile State, about 100 kilometers away, despite the current situation.

She stressed that if people decide to leave El Obeid, they must be granted safe passage and have access to protection and medical care whenever needed.

Barbrieth noted that there is a genuine sense of fear among the population. Drone strikes are not limited to military targets; they frequently hit civilian areas, resulting in civilian deaths and injuries, while the front line of the fighting is now less than 40 kilometers from the city.

Following her visit to El Obeid over the past two days, the MSF emergency coordinator said that nearly one million residents, along with around 100,000 internally displaced people, are facing severe challenges, including shortages of safe drinking water and the growing risk of a cholera outbreak. She added that essential services, water supplies, and healthcare are under increasing strain due to the escalation of drone attacks.

Barbrieth also revealed that the International NGO Safety Organisation (INSO) has identified North Kordofan State as the region most affected by drone attacks this year, with at least 141 recorded attacks as of 8 July, the majority targeting El Obeid and the main eastern road leading into the city.