Sudan’s El Fasher Under Siege as Paramilitary Forces Intensify Attacks
The city of El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, Sudan, has been under siege for over 18 months, with the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) intensifying their attacks in recent weeks. The RSF announced their incursion into the El Zayadiya neighborhood, claiming control of El Najah School, just two kilometers from the Sixth Infantry Division.
Residents reported artillery fire and drone attacks throughout Sunday, with the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Joint Force repelling an RSF advance from the southern direction of the city. The RSF also pressed deeper into Abu Shouk displacement camp north of El Fasher, leaving more than 30 civilians dead and over 100 injured in Sunday’s strike.
The Sudan Doctors Network accused the RSF of bombing El Fasher’s Southern Hospital on Sunday evening, destroying the accident and emergency building. The network described the targeting of hospitals as “full-fledged war crimes” and a “flagrant violation” of international humanitarian law. Thousands face death from a complete lack of essential and life-saving medicines, with doctors reporting soaring case numbers, rising injuries, and an inability to respond to patients’ needs.
Sudan’s recently appointed Prime Minister Kamil El Tayeb Idris called on the United Nations and its members to act immediately to lift the siege of El Fasher and open humanitarian corridors. “El Fasher lives under siege. Hundreds of thousands of civilians are trapped. Families are starving, and children are dying before our eyes because of deliberate obstruction,” Idris said.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) expressed alarm over the fresh RSF attack on Abu Shouk camp in El Fasher. The RSF has launched more than 220 attacks on El Fasher in the past year alone, capturing Zamzam camp south of the city in April. Military leaders continue to insist that El Fasher remains under control, despite the escalating violence.
The international community is urged to take immediate action to address the humanitarian crisis unfolding in El Fasher. The Sudan Doctors Network issued an urgent appeal for chronic disease treatments, antibiotics, and emergency medicines, warning of an “imminent humanitarian disaster” unless safe humanitarian corridors are opened and international aid agencies intervene.
