More than 83,000 civilians have sought refuge in el-Obeid (a major city in Sudan's North Kordofan region), even as the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) mass within 40 kilometres of its outskirts and threaten a fresh assault. The UN and G7 foreign ministers have warned that a potential RSF attack could trigger atrocities comparable to last October's massacre in el-Fasher, where thousands were killed after paramilitary forces overran the city. With supply routes severed and drone strikes having damaged fuel depots and power infrastructure, nearly 400,000 people in and around el-Obeid now face food shortages, making the city what one UN official described as under a "functional siege."