KHARTOUM, Sudan – Heavy shelling by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on the besieged city of Al Fasher in Sudan’s North Darfur region killed at least 13 civilians and wounded 19 others, a local medical group reported Monday. The attack targeted residential neighborhoods, with victims reportedly including seven children and a pregnant woman.
In a powerful statement, the Sudan Doctors Network said that rescue efforts were being hampered as many civilians remained trapped amid the continued bombardment. The group decried the assault as a grave violation of international law.
“This is a full-fledged war crime and a systematic targeting of civilian life,” the statement read, condemning what it called a “shameful international silence and failure to protect hundreds of thousands of residents trapped in the city.”
A City Under Siege
The attack intensifies the humanitarian crisis in Al Fasher, the capital of North Darfur and a vital hub for aid operations across the entire Darfur region. The RSF has imposed a crippling blockade on the city since May 10, 2024, defying international warnings of a potential catastrophe for its trapped population.
The doctors’ network issued an urgent appeal to the international community and the UN Security Council to take immediate and decisive action to halt the attacks and provide protection for civilians and medical personnel on the ground.
Catastrophic Civil War
The violence in Al Fasher is part of a brutal civil war that has engulfed Sudan since April 2023, pitting the Sudanese army against the rival RSF. The conflict has created one of the world’s worst humanitarian disasters.
According to United Nations figures, the war has killed more than 20,000 people and displaced an astonishing 15 million from their homes. However, many believe the true death toll is far higher, with a recent study by American universities estimating that approximately 130,000 people have been killed. The nation’s infrastructure is in ruins, and millions face the threat of famine.
