The humanitarian situation in Sudan’s Darfur region has taken another tragic turn as a deadly assault by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) left at least 53 people dead and dozens more injured. The attack, which struck a camp sheltering displaced families in the city of El-Fasher, North Darfur, is being described by aid groups as one of the most devastating single incidents in the region this year.
According to medical and humanitarian sources, the RSF carried out a coordinated assault involving drone strikes and heavy artillery fire on Friday night, targeting areas around Omdurman Islamic University, which had been converted into a temporary shelter for internally displaced persons (IDPs). Many of the victims were women and children who had fled earlier clashes between the RSF and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF).
Witnesses reported scenes of chaos as the bombardment tore through makeshift tents and school buildings being used as emergency shelters. Emergency workers and volunteers struggled to reach survivors amid ongoing shelling and damaged roads. Local hospitals have been overwhelmed, with limited supplies and staff struggling to treat critical injuries.
Humanitarian organizations condemned the attack, calling it another violation of international humanitarian law. Doctors Without Borders (MSF) and the Sudanese Red Crescent have appealed for urgent access to the area to deliver medical aid and evacuate the wounded. “What happened in El-Fasher is horrifying. Civilians who were already displaced and vulnerable have now been targeted again,” said an MSF field coordinator on the ground.
This latest tragedy underscores the continued deterioration of Sudan’s 18-month-long conflict, which began in April 2023 after tensions between the SAF, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the RSF, commanded by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (known as Hemeti), erupted into full-scale war. Since then, thousands of people have been killed, and more than 10 million have been forced to flee their homes—creating one of the world’s largest displacement crises.
El-Fasher has become a key battleground because of its strategic importance as a humanitarian and military hub in Darfur. The United Nations has repeatedly warned that fighting there could trigger catastrophic civilian losses. Despite international appeals for ceasefires and negotiations, both sides have continued to exchange heavy fire in urban and civilian areas.
UN agencies and human rights monitors are now calling for an independent investigation into the El-Fasher attack, saying deliberate strikes on shelters and refugee centers may constitute war crimes. “The international community cannot turn a blind eye while civilians are being massacred in Darfur once again,” said a spokesperson for the UN Human Rights Office.
As the conflict intensifies, millions in Sudan are facing famine-like conditions, lack of healthcare, and total collapse of infrastructure. Humanitarian access remains extremely restricted, with aid convoys often looted or blocked by warring factions.
The latest massacre in El-Fasher is a grim reminder that Sudan’s conflict has spiraled far beyond political power struggles — it has become a war against its own people. Without a swift and united global response, the suffering in Darfur and across Sudan may reach irreparable levels.
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