Unidentified Speaker 1, a UN briefing official, told reporters the Security Council will receive an open briefing this afternoon on the situation in Sudan and said the organization is "deeply concerned by the escalating violence" that is placing civilians at grave risk and triggering new waves of displacement.

The spokesman cited partner estimates and local authorities showing sharp increases in displacement. "Our friends at the International Organization for Migration estimate that on Friday, heightened security drove nearly 500 people to flee villages in the locality of Reef Sharkey and seek refuge in Kadugli and surrounding areas," the spokesperson said, and added that displacements into White Nile state have exceeded 15,000 people since late October, according to local authorities.

The briefing highlighted recent incidents in Darfur, where the IOM estimates more than 107,000 people were displaced from North Darfur’s capital, Al Fasha, and surrounding villages between late October and early December after rapid support forces took over the city. The UN official said many families had been displaced multiple times, fleeing camps such as Zamzam and Abu Shuk, and reported that last week more than 2,500 displaced people from Al Fasha arrived in the locality of Sharia in South Darfur State.

The spokesman warned of increasing civilian harm, citing a market strike in Al Mala in North Darfur that reportedly killed at least 10 people and said attacks on health-care facilities have reached "alarming levels." He noted that, "in 2025 alone, 65 such attacks in Sudan caused more than 1,600 deaths," calling attention to the crisis’s toll on medical services and the broader humanitarian response.

UN partners on the ground told the briefing that newly arrived families urgently need food, relief items and health services. The spokesperson reiterated calls for all parties to immediately halt attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure, uphold international humanitarian law and ensure safe, unhindered humanitarian access so the year is not marked by the same levels of misery seen previously.

The briefing did not announce new UN operational decisions or a visit by the Secretary-General; the spokesperson said potential trips will be considered if they would be helpful and noted the SG has focused extensive attention on Sudan via envoys and representatives on the ground.