https://arab.news/mcr3b
- According to UN estimates, around two million people face extreme food insecurity in North Darfur state, with 320,000 already suffering famine conditions
KHARTOUM: Civilians trapped in Sudan鈥檚 El-Fasher city are facing 鈥渃atastrophic鈥� conditions, activists warned on Sunday, with their situation rapidly deteriorating amid a months-long paramilitary siege.
The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces have taken most of the vast Darfur region in their war against the regular army since April 2023, but El-Fasher in North Darfur remains the only regional state capital the RSF has not conquered.
A local advocacy group, the Darfur General Coordination of Camps for the Displaced and Refugees, said in a statement that residents 鈥渂ear the brunt of artillery shelling鈥� and live 鈥渨ith the sounds of aircraft and their terrifying and deadly missiles, in addition to the daily suffering of hunger, disease and drought.鈥�
Life in El-Fasher and other areas of Darfur 鈥渉as come to a complete standstill,鈥� the group said, with no food at markets and a 鈥渃omplete halt鈥� in humanitarian aid.
There was a sharp rise in prices of basic commodities and 鈥渁 severe shortage in cash,鈥� it added, warning of an 鈥渦nprecedented and catastrophic deterioration鈥� in already dire conditions in and around El-Fasher.
The RSF-aligned armed group Sudan Liberation Army called on Saturday for civilians in El-Fasher and the nearby displacement camps of Abu Shouk and Zamzan to leave, warning of an 鈥渆scalation of military operations.鈥�
Another RSF ally, the Gathering of Sudan Liberation Forces, said it was ready to 鈥減rovide safe corridors鈥� for residents to leave and head to 鈥渓iberated areas鈥� under paramilitary control.
In late March, the RSF announced its fighters had seized Al-Malha, which lies at the foot of a mountainous region 200 kilometers (124 miles) northeast of El-Fasher.
Al-Malha is one of the northernmost towns in the vast desert region between Sudan and Libya, where the RSF鈥檚 critical resupply lines have come under increasing attack in recent months by army-allied groups.
The war has created what the United Nations describes as the world鈥檚 worst hunger and displacement crises. More than 12 million people have been uprooted, tens of thousands killed and a UN-backed assessment declared famine in parts of the country.
According to UN estimates, around two million people face extreme food insecurity in North Darfur state, with 320,000 already suffering famine conditions.
Zamzam is one of three displacement camps around El-Fasher hit by famine, which a UN-backed assessment says is expected to spread to five more areas including the state capital itself by May.