A recent UN report indicates more than 780 civilian deaths in El-Fasher, North Darfur, amid ongoing conflict between Sudan’s army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The humanitarian crisis is worsening as both factions inflict heavy casualties, with calls for international intervention to prevent further civilian suffering.
According to a United Nations report released on Friday, at least 782 civilians have lost their lives, with over 1,100 sustaining injuries, amid a prolonged paramilitary siege in El-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur. Since April 2022, a devastating conflict has ravaged Sudan, primarily between the military, commanded by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), led by former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Daglo.
The town of El-Fasher, which is home to approximately two million inhabitants, has been engulfed in some of the most intense fighting, marking a critical point for the military in its struggle to maintain territorial control in the face of RSF aggression. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, articulated the dire impact of the relentless siege: “The continuing siege of El Fasher and the relentless fighting are devastating lives every day on a massive scale.”
The UN Human Rights Office gathered testimonies from 52 individuals who fled the region, highlighting that RSF provocations, including regular shelling of densely populated zones, began in May. In conjunction, government forces have been executing airstrikes, contributing to civilian casualties and damage.
In recent assaults, the RSF’s shelling of a principal hospital resulted in the death of nine individuals and injuries to 20 civilians, as reported by the World Health Organization. Pro-democracy activists noted further casualties when RSF attacks targeted multiple regions in El-Fasher, killing 10 and wounding 20 more. A drone strike on Sunday tragically claimed at least 38 lives in the city’s center.
Amidst the siege, a famine-stricken displacement camp, Zamzam, was shelled, resulting in six fatalities and 13 injuries. Turk cautioned that a large-scale offensive on either Zamzam or El-Fasher could escalate conditions to catastrophic levels, emphasizing, “All efforts must be taken, including by the international community, to prevent such an attack and to halt the siege.”
Currently, the majority of Darfur is under RSF control, while the military retains regions in the north and east. This prolonged conflict has led to tens of thousands of deaths, the displacement of over 11 million individuals, and putting an alarming 26 million at risk of starvation. Both factions are accused of indiscriminately targeting medical facilities and residential areas, aggravating the sufferings of civilians caught in this merciless warfare.
The humanitarian crisis in Sudan, particularly in the Darfur region, has escalated drastically as ongoing conflicts between the army and the RSF continue. Since the military and RSF began clashing in April 2022, violence has surged, leading to significant civilian casualties and displacement. The region is grappling with a deteriorating humanitarian situation compounded by food shortages and lack of medical care. United Nations officials continue to highlight the urgent need for international intervention to protect civilians and alleviate suffering in these war-torn areas.
In summary, the ongoing paramilitary siege in North Darfur has resulted in the tragic loss of over 780 civilian lives and thousands of injuries, as detailed in the recent United Nations report. The relentless violence between the military and RSF has devastated communities, exacerbating an already critical humanitarian situation in the region. Urgent international action is required to halt this siege and protect the civilian population from further suffering and catastrophe.
Original Source: www.barrons.com
