United Nations, July 16 : UN humanitarians said that they are gravely concerned by escalating fighting in Sudan, mainly attacks in North Kordofan State.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said attacks from Thursday through Sunday on villages near Bara in North Kordofan reportedly killed at least 300 people, including children and pregnant women. Many more were injured, with homes looted and burned, and people displaced, Xinhua news agency reported.

OCHA said disrupted communication links are hindering efforts to confirm the number of casualties.

The office also said it was alarmed by reports of renewed shelling in El-Obeid, the state capital. The attack is deepening fears and insecurity.

OCHA said that in West Kordofan State, assaults on the villages of Al-Fulah and Abu Zabad reportedly killed more than 20 people. The violence included an airstrike on a school sheltering displaced families. Humanitarian operations were also affected.

"These incidents are yet another tragic reminder of the relentless toll the conflict is taking on civilians across Sudan," the office said. OCHA emphasised that civilians and civilian infrastructure, including schools, homes, shelters and humanitarian assets, must never be targeted, and called on all parties to the conflict to respect their obligations under international humanitarian law fully.

The humanitarians said that people fleeing North Kordofan and the El Fasher siege in North Darfur State head into other parts of the country, including Northern State, in search of safety.

OCHA said that its humanitarian partners in Northern State reported that more than 3,000 displaced people have arrived in the Ad-Dabbah locality since June. While some have received food assistance, the steady influx of newly displaced families is putting more pressure on already stretched resources.

Humanitarians warn that the rainy season is bringing further hardship.

OCHA said that in eastern Sudan, heavy rain and strong winds on Sunday destroyed or damaged shelters and food supplies for about 2,700 displaced people at two sites in Gedaref. A rapid assessment conducted by OCHA and its partners on Monday found that most of the affected families wish to return to their areas of origin but need support to do so.

The office said the International Organization for Migration reported that across Sudan, more than 1.3 million people have returned to their home areas since November 2024. The vast majority returned to the states of Aj Jazirah, Sennar and Khartoum, but they face worsening living conditions and shortages of basic services.

OCHA continues to appeal for urgent and increased support to reach millions of vulnerable people across Sudan, noting that this year's Sudan humanitarian response plan is only 23 per cent funded.

/IANS