U.N. reports intensified fighting in Sudan, peacekeeper ambush in South Sudan and Afghan civilian casualties

The United Nations told reporters that violence is intensifying in multiple conflict zones, with acute humanitarian consequences in Sudan, South Sudan and Afghanistan.

On Sudan, the spokesperson said fighting has escalated in Kordofan and Blue Nile states, with drone attacks reported in El Obeid and damage to schools and power infrastructure. The briefing said OCHA reported thousands displaced from areas including Cormorook and called for flexible funding to sustain life‑saving services.

In South Sudan, U.N. peacekeepers responding to an ambush sheltered more than 1,000 civilians at a base and provided emergency medical care. The spokesperson said peacekeepers had responded in self‑defense and that no U.N. personnel were injured; the mission has called for swift investigation and accountability.

The U.N. mission in Afghanistan reported preliminary figures of at least 123 civilian casualties between late February and March 1 (34 killed, 89 injured), and said access restrictions have curtailed humanitarian delivery. The World Food Programme has paused activities in the affected Afghan areas, the briefing said, impacting approximately 160,000 people and exacerbating critical levels of acute malnutrition in several provinces.

The spokesperson stressed that figures remain preliminary and that agencies are coordinating responses, including scaled‑up assistance where possible, while warning that closures of airspace and regional logistics hubs risk wider impacts on humanitarian operations elsewhere.