The recent attack on the main hospital in Al-Fashir, Sudan, by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has put the facility out of service, leaving the residents and displaced people in the region at great risk. The city, located in the Darfur region of northwestern Sudan, is home to over 1.8 million people and has become the latest battleground in the ongoing conflict between the Sudanese army and the RSF.
The RSF, which has already taken control of the capital Khartoum and most of western Sudan, is now looking to advance further into the center of the country. This escalation of violence has raised concerns among United Nations agencies, who have warned that the people of Sudan are facing an “imminent risk of famine” due to the ongoing conflict.
The situation in Al-Fashir has forced approximately 130,000 people to flee their homes as a result of the fighting that erupted in April and May. The RSF’s attack on South Hospital, the only facility in Al-Fashir capable of handling daily mass casualty events, has further exacerbated the humanitarian crisis in the region.
According to Doctors Without Borders (MSF), from May 10 to June 6, over 1,300 wounded individuals arrived at the hospital, with 208 people losing their lives due to their injuries. However, many more people have been unable to reach the hospital for medical assistance due to the ongoing conflict in the area.
Michel Lacharite, head of MSF emergencies, condemned the attack on the hospital, stating that opening fire inside a medical facility is unacceptable. The hospital had already been impacted by fighting multiple times since May 25, leading to the evacuation of patients and staff on several occasions.
In addition to the attack on the hospital, another medical center in the Abu Shouk camp to the north of the city was also targeted on Saturday. The attack resulted in over 30 injuries and at least two fatalities, as reported by the camp committee and a volunteer group.
Reports from The Yale Humanitarian Research Lab have revealed that around 40 settlements outside Al-Fashir have been subjected to arson attacks since March, with local residents attributing these attacks to the RSF. The situation has made it perilous for residents to leave the city, as those attempting to flee have been targeted and even killed on the main RSF-controlled road out of Al-Fashir.
Many residents have opted to take alternative routes either south to Zamzam camp or west to areas controlled by armed groups, including the faction of the Sudan Liberation Army led by Abdelwahid Mohamed Nour. The continued violence and attacks on medical facilities in Al-Fashir highlight the urgent need for a peaceful resolution to the conflict to prevent further loss of life and suffering among the civilian population.