At least 60 individuals have died following a drone strike on a displacement shelter in el-Fasher, a city in Sudan facing severe difficulties. The el-Fasher resistance committee, comprising local citizens and activists, reported that the paramilitary group known as the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) targeted Dar al-Arqam camp, situated within a university, with two drone strikes and eight artillery shells.
Eyewitness accounts suggest chaotic scenes as rescuers worked to recover bodies from the debris. The wounded have reportedly overwhelmed hospitals in el-Fasher, which have struggled for months under siege conditions, resulting in patients being treated on floors and in corridors.
The RSF has encircled el-Fasher for 17 months, seeking to gain control over what remains of the Sudanese army’s presence in the Darfur region. The resistance committee described the situation as having escalated beyond a typical disaster, referring to it as genocide. The ongoing conflict in Sudan began in 2023 following a power struggle between leaders of the RSF and the Sudanese army, contributing to one of the most severe humanitarian crises in the area.
In recent weeks, the RSF has ramped up its assault on el-Fasher, and experts warn that the city may fall unless the army receives reinforcements. Research indicates that the RSF has constructed an earthen wall around el-Fasher, further entrenching the siege and complicating civilian escape. The United Nations has reported that approximately 250,000 civilians remain trapped in the city while cautioning that continued attacks on civilian areas may constitute war crimes.
The population in el-Fasher faces increasing hunger and disease amid persistent bombardment and critically limited food and medical supplies. Recently, at least 13 people died from shelling directed at one of the last operational hospitals in the city. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, condemned the ongoing violence against civilians, expressing alarm at the RSF’s conduct.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c3rvrn8req4o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss