Joint UN convoy brings vital aid to besieged communities in Sudan's South Kordofan

This is the first major joint UN convoy to these locations since the conflict began - delivering critical supplies to tens of thousands of people in Kadugli and Dilling, and the surrounding localities of Al Fula, Abu Zabad and Al Tayba. Humanitarian needs in South Kordofan are acute and establishing a sustained humanitarian corridor for aid into these hard-to-reach areas is vital to save lives and turn the tide of growing needs.

The convoy delivered WFP food, UNHCR relief items, and UNICEF's health, nutrition, and hygiene supplies for children and families. But more support is urgently needed, and this convoy marks a critical step toward establishing a reliable and regular lifeline of aid to the area.

The convoy's journey was long and fraught with challenges and included the looting of a small portion of the supplies before reaching Dilling, depriving families of lifesaving assistance and underscoring the immense challenges of operating in these areas. Safe passage and the protection of humanitarian supplies and personnel remain critical.

The convoy follows UNICEF's successful delivery of essential supplies to Kadugli in August 2025, which reached more than 120,000 people with lifesaving assistance. Together, these efforts signal the shared commitment of the UN, and wider humanitarian community, in Sudan to establish regular aid access to communities that have been largely cut off.

"This convoy is a vital step toward providing urgently needed humanitarian assistance to communities that have been cut off for months," said Abubakarr Jalloh, Representative a.i. UNHCR Sudan. "UNHCR will continue working with partners to ensure displaced and vulnerable families including refugees in South Kordofan receive the essential humanitarian assistance."

"The front lines of this conflict may shift, but the needs of children have not," said Sheldon Yett, UNICEF Representative to Sudan. "These critical supplies are essential to keep children free, healthy, strong and safe."

"Families in Dilling and Kadugli have held on through inconceivable adversity," said Makena Walker, acting Country Director for Sudan. "They need a consistent, reliable lifeline, not one-offs. With guarantees of safe passage, we stand ready to move again and again to sustain deliveries and reach everyone in the areas facing most severe needs."

Reaching Kadugli took months of negotiations, persistence, courage, along with a shared commitment to prioritize the needs of the people of Sudan. That same spirit is urgently needed to support all populations in hard-to-reach areas. Families have endured extreme hardship for too long. UN agencies are ready to respond. Every day of delay costs lives.

Note to Editors:

WFP provides regular digital cash transfers to communities in Kadugli, Dilling, and El Fasher. However, truck deliveries of food and other aid remain essential, as these cities have been under siege for a long time and largely cut off from both commercial and humanitarian supplies.

As part of the joint convoy to South Kordofan, a UNHCR truck carried 750 core relief kits, which include blankets, sleeping mats, jerrycans, plastic tarpaulins, mosquito nets, and kitchen sets, providing essential support to displaced families.

UNHCR has prepositioned thousands of Non-Food Item (NFI) kits ready to reach vulnerable and forcibly displaced populations in dire need in Al Fasher.

UN asks:

Cessation of all hostilities; guarantees of safe passage for humanitarian supplies and personnel; and assurance of operational security for humanitarian convoys and distributions.

Regular clearances to enable a steady pipeline of food, nutrition assistance and other relief items to Dilling, Kadugli and other hard-hit areas, including Al Fasher.

Urgent and flexible funding to scale up lifesaving interventions.

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The United Nations World Food Programme is the world's largest humanitarian organization saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change.

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