13 Killed as Medical Facility Shelled in Surrounded Sudan Urban Area
At least 13 people have been slain after an attack on one of the few surviving medical centers in el-Fasher, a Sudanese city caught under encirclement.
16 more people, including a doctor and healthcare worker, were injured after the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces shelled Saudi hospital several times on Tuesday evening, according to witnesses.
Images displayed broken windows, fissures from explosive fragments, a gaping hole in the mud-brick wall and twisted metal from hospital beds covering the floor.
A group of Sudanese medics has labeled the attack a violation of international law. The RSF has been besieging el-Fasher for over 17 months, leaving numerous people stranded in the city experiencing starvation.
Intensified Conflict in Strategic Darfur Urban Center
The armed faction is clashing with the army for full control of el-Fasher, the last military stronghold in the vast Darfur region.
This constitutes the second strike on the Saudi hospital this year - the previous in January resulted in the deaths of three young ones and injured three additional people.
The latest shelling ripped through sections of the hospital, wrecking treatment sections.
Humanitarian Catastrophe Intensifies
In recent weeks, the RSF has intensified its attack on the city, leading analysts to think the city could collapse imminently unless the army gets urgent backup forces.
The combatants have been engaged in a brutal internal conflict for more than two years, causing the world's worst humanitarian crisis and numerous of casualties.
The constant combat in el-Fasher has forced the majority of health facilities to close. Aid convoys transporting food and treatment have been blocked from accessing residents.
"After over 500 days of relentless siege by the RSF and incessant warfare, El Fasher is on the brink of an more severe disaster if urgent measures are not taken to loosen the siege conditions upon the city and to defend non-combatants," declared a United Nations leader recently.
Dire Circumstances for Healthcare
- Several hospitals have been obliged to cease operations due to persistent violence
- Medical supplies are dwindling rapidly throughout the surrounded city
- Global aid organizations face significant barriers in supplying critical assistance
- The inhabitants faces mounting health risks without proper medical care
The situation in el-Fasher constitutes one of the most severe disaster scenarios currently unfolding globally, with urgent measures necessary to prevent further casualties.
