World · ArchiveUN Warns 500,000 Cut Off in El-Obeid Could Be Next CatastropheAired August 8, 2026 at 4:46 AM UTCWritten September 7, 2026 at 9:22 PM UTCRead the write-upThis storyTranscript · LOADING0:00About half a million people in El Obeid0:02in central Sudan have been cut off from0:03food, water, and medical supplies.0:05Mariel Mueller of DW News reports and0:08the United Nations via DW News is0:10warning that another human rights0:11catastrophe could be unfolding there.0:13The warning [music] is framed directly0:14against what the United Nations has0:16already declared about the last major0:18siege in Sudan. The United Nations via0:20DW News declared that the RSF [music]0:23siege of El Fasher bore the hallmarks of0:25genocide. The precedent that makes the0:27[music] signs now reported around El0:29Obeid consequential. The toll around El0:31Obeid is already measured. The UN rights0:33office by a DW News says drone strikes0:36killed at least 880 civilians around El0:39Obeid in the first 4 months of 2026.0:42An unnamed El Obeid resident told DW0:45there is not enough drinking water and0:46that drone attacks [music] during the0:47day and sexual violence at night have0:49left no safe window for women and girls0:51to collect water. The same resident told0:53[music] DW the army has now recaptured0:56some areas, an account that has not0:58changed the immediate [music] isolation0:59as food, water, and medical supplies1:01remain cut off for the encircled1:03population. That encirclement is1:05tightening inside a war now in its1:07fourth [music] year.1:10DW News reports Sudan remains [music]1:12the world's largest displacement crisis1:14with over 14 million people forced from1:16their homes.Explore with HeyDexThe shortThe short ↗