Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has reported at least 56 deaths in El Fasher, the capital of Sudan’s North Darfur state, as violence escalates in the region.
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Between last Friday and Wednesday, May 15, 2024, 454 casualties were treated at South Hospital, with 56 succumbing to their injuries, according to MSF.
The organization noted that the actual number of casualties could be higher due to the intensity of the ongoing fighting, which has made it difficult for many people to reach medical facilities.
“North Darfur had been relatively safe compared to other parts of Darfur,” MSF stated. “Now, there are snipers in the streets, heavy shelling, and nowhere in the city is safe.”
The violence in North Darfur has worsened as the paramilitary group Rapid Support Forces (RSF) encircles El Fasher.
A report from the Yale School of Public Health’s Humanitarian Research Lab confirmed significant conflict-related damage in eastern and southeastern neighborhoods of El Fasher city between May 10 and May 14.
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The report aligns with reports of expanded ground fighting and bombardment by the RSF and Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) in the city.
UN Deputy Special Representative for Sudan Clementine Nkweta-Salami warned that hostilities are escalating in El Fasher, putting the entire city in peril.
In response to the situation, the United States sanctioned two RSF commanders for their role in leading operations in Darfur.
“The RSF military operation to encircle and besiege El Fasher, North Darfur, has endangered the lives of hundreds of thousands of civilians,” a US Department of State spokesperson said.
The civil war in Sudan between the SAF and RSF began in April 2023, resulting in over 8.8 million people displaced and 24.8 million people in need of assistance, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
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