Mass return to West Kordofan amid UXO and water crisis, four killed in hospital strike in Blue Nile

Authorities in West Kordofan report that over 2,300 families have returned to Babnousa in less than two months, even as the town struggles with severe water shortages, a collapsed health system, and the deadly threat of unexploded ordnance (UXO). Rights groups linked to the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N El Hilu) say a Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) drone strike last week on Yabous Hospital in Kurmuk locality, southern Blue Nile state, killed four people, including two children.

Suleiman Omar Bilal, Executive Director of Babanousa locality, told Radio Dabanga that 2,353 families have come back from surrounding areas since December, when the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) seized control of the town in December 2025, consolidating their grip on West Kordofan. He described the humanitarian situation as “catastrophic”.

Residents struggle to access safe drinking water, Bilal said, as only a handful of boreholes are operational. The latest wave of returns has stretched supplies beyond capacity. Food baskets distributed to returnees fall far short of needs, he added.

Reports state that Babanousa’s main hospital was destroyed in an aerial bombardment campaign, forcing authorities to rely on a single health centre that lacks essential medicines and faces overwhelming demand.

Bilal also warned that landmines and unexploded shells litter streets, homes, and even places of worship. Recent explosions, including one that killed livestock today and another that struck a vehicle yesterday, have caused serious injuries, including amputations, and deepened fear among residents. He described the destruction of the town as “systematic and difficult to accept”.

Local engineering teams lack the equipment to detect and clear advanced mines containing plastic components, he said, urging international agencies to provide specialised expertise and modern de-mining tools. He called for urgent intervention in water, health and basic services to stabilise conditions for returnees.

‘Blue Nile hospital destroyed’

In Blue Nile state, the SPLM-N El Hilu’s human rights arm, said a SAF drone strike on February 4 destroyed Yabous Hospital, killing four people, among them two children.

Siddig Ali Ibrahim, head of the movement’s human rights arm, said the attack levelled the hospital, destroying all medicines and equipment and forcing it to cease operations permanently. Following a field visit, he reported that the bombardment also burned and destroyed 213 homes and displaced 187 families, who are now sheltering in the open with little to no humanitarian support.

He described the strike as one of the gravest recent attacks on a civilian health facility in the area and called for an immediate halt to what he termed an “absurd war” targeting civilians and vital infrastructure. He urged international and regional bodies to investigate and hold those responsible to account, stressing that attacks on hospitals violate international humanitarian law.

Radio Dabanga was unable to obtain an immediate response from the SAF spokesperson. Fighting continues in parts of Blue Nile between the SAF, SPLM-N El Hilu and RSF, further compounding civilian suffering.