Thousands of people who have poured into the city of el-Obeid hoping to find shelter from Sudan’s raging civil war have found themselves under threat again, amid warnings that paramilitary fighters are preparing to descend on the army-controlled city.

Clashes between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the military has escalated in the North Kordofan region – a critical target for both sides in the conflict which could open a gateway into contested territory.

Displaced people have flocked to el-Obeid, which remains heavily defended by the Sudanese military, despite ongoing strikes being carried out on the city as paramilitary forces advance. The UN’s International Organization for Migration (IOM) said it has become a key refuge for people escaping ongoing violence in the surrounding areas.

Satellite imagery shows the main displacement camp has expanded significantly since March, with aid workers reporting dozens of new arrivals each day.

“Families have run out of safe options to protect themselves,” Mohamed Refaat, IOM chief of mission in Sudan, said. “Many have already been displaced before and are once again forced to leave behind their homes, livelihoods and support networks.”

The UN and G7 foreign ministers have now issued warnings that the RSF may be preparing to attack the city, raising fears that atrocities akin to those seen during the massacre in el-Fasher could be repeated. Thousands of people were killed in mass executions after the paramilitary overran SAF troops defending the city last October, in one of the worst atrocities since the civil war began in 2023.

Fears of similar reprisals occurring in el-Obeid have grown for weeks and verified footage now shows dozens of heavily armed RSF troops in armoured trucks stationed in Nyala, a key nearby stronghold, vowing to “liberate” the city.