The United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) has for the first time confirmed the presence of landmines in Khartoum State, marking a dangerous new phase in Sudan’s escalating security crisis.
According to a statement received on Monday, UNMAS reported the detection of anti-personnel mines in Mogran, at the heart of the capital, and anti-vehicle mines in the surrounding districts of Omdurman and Bahri.
“This confirmation is a worrying turning point. Until now, we considered the region to be contaminated by unexploded ordnance, but free of landmines,” a program official stated.
The discovery of landmines in such densely populated areas is expected to severely hamper ongoing humanitarian efforts.
“The presence of mines poses an immediate danger to civilian populations, but also to humanitarian actors attempting to provide assistance,” the agency emphasized.
Since conflict erupted on April 15, 2023, between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), fighting has engulfed urban centers. Both sides have deployed heavy weapons, with residential zones often caught in the crossfire.
“The forces involved are using mines as a tactical means to slow down the enemy. But it is civilians who are paying the highest price,” UNMAS warned, highlighting the likelihood of rising casualties.
Meanwhile, in North Darfur’s Tawila town, a severe humanitarian emergency is unfolding. More than 330,000 displaced people have arrived, fleeing violence and worsening food insecurity. Health officials have reported over 1,180 cases of cholera since June 21—including 300 children—with at least 20 confirmed deaths.
“Living conditions in the camps are dire. The lack of clean water and sanitation is fueling the rapid spread of cholera,” a local representative of the World Health Organization (WHO) said.
Across Darfur’s five states, over 2,140 cholera cases and at least 80 deaths have been recorded. UNICEF is preparing to dispatch 1.4 million doses of oral cholera vaccine to the region.
“We are acting urgently to vaccinate the most at-risk children. More than 640,000 children under five are at risk,” a UNICEF spokesperson stated.
As frontlines continue to shift and humanitarian needs mount, agencies warn of a deepening crisis. Sudan now faces a compounded catastrophe of warfare, mass displacement, epidemics, and acute food insecurity.
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