Sudan: Situation Worsened in El Fasher

Dozens of women and children were killed between yesterday, Tuesday, and today, Wednesday, as a result of clashes between the army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in the city of El Fasher, western Sudan.

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At the same time, the RSF published a video confirming the departure of the Doctors Without Borders team from areas under its control.

Eyewitnesses said to press that the neighborhoods of Al-Qubba, Tempasi, southwest of Souq Al-Kabeer, and the Abu Shouk camp for the displaced were subjected to violent artillery shelling by the RSF, resulting in the deaths of six people in the Al-Qubba neighborhood, and three in the Abu Shouk camp north of the city, in addition to a number of wounded, including a child girl who underwent an amputation of her foot.

Witness reported to the Sudanese press that the army’s warplanes continued their intense bombardment for the third day in a row, on the neighborhoods east and northeast of El Fasher, which led to a massive displacement of residents from the eastern neighborhoods to the safer western neighborhoods.

The resource said that the dialysis center was also damaged, and spoke of fears that the southern El Fasher Hospital would be out of service, due to the ongoing battles between the two parties.

Abu Shouk camp for displaced people, which has housed hundreds of thousands since 2003, was bombed even though there were no military targets there, according to a statement issued by the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare in North Darfur state.

The statement considered that the deliberate and repeated bombing of civilian facilities, including hospitals and shelter centers, represents a serious violation of international and humanitarian law and international human rights treaties, and constitutes a crime of collective punishment against women, children, displaced persons, and civilians in El Fasher.

Economically, North Darfur State suffers from food shortages and high prices for basic items such as sugar and flour, which threatens famine as a result of the siege and the cutting of relief supplies.

According to local people, the large market stopped working due to the shells that left a number of people dead, water prices also rose significantly after a number of water stations malfunctioned.