Catastrophic Deterioration in El Fasher
Moatinoon - Agencies
The city of El Fasher in North Darfur, which has been besieged by the Rapid Support Forces for months, is experiencing an "unprecedented catastrophic deterioration," according to activists, amid ongoing artillery shelling and bombing, "hunger, disease, and drought," according to a statement issued Sunday.
The General Coordination of Refugee and Displaced Persons Camps, an independent group operating in refugee camps in Darfur, said in a statement: "Residents are living under the brunt of artillery shelling and the terrifying and deadly sounds of aircraft and their missiles, in addition to the daily suffering of hunger, disease, and drought."
It added that life in Darfur, particularly in El Fasher, "has come to a complete standstill, with markets empty of food supplies and humanitarian aid completely halted."
It also noted a "sharp rise in prices and a severe shortage of cash," noting that the price of water has reached 1,500 Sudanese pounds (2.50) for two gallons.
The Sudanese army controls El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, which has been under siege by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and allied militias for months, in an attempt to seize control.
El Fasher is the only major city in the Darfur region that remains outside the control of the RSF.
The government in Port Sudan has called on the United Nations to intervene to save the lives of the citizens of El Fasher and the surrounding areas in North Darfur state.
Spokesman and Minister of Information Khaled Al-Aiser said in a statement published by the Sovereignty Council that "the Sudanese government has called on the United Nations to intervene with its aircraft and tankers, under its preamble, to save the lives of the citizens of El Fasher and the surrounding areas."
On Saturday, Sovereignty Council member Ibrahim Jaber held a meeting with a UN delegation headed by Deputy Resident Representative for Humanitarian Affairs Christina Hamburg. The meeting was attended by the Minister of Information, the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Acting Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid.
For its part, the Sudan Liberation Army (SLA), allied with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), called on Saturday for the citizens of El Fasher and refugees in the Abu Shouk and Zamzam camps in North Darfur to leave and head to areas under the movements control "due to the escalation of military operations, the deterioration of the humanitarian situation, and the lack of life around the city."
The Sudan Liberation Forces Gathering (SLF), also allied with the RSF, confirmed its readiness to "provide safe corridors for exit to liberated areas."
Nearly two million people in North Darfur face severe food insecurity, and 320,000 are already suffering from famine, according to UN estimates.
The UN has declared famine in three camps for internally displaced persons (IDPs) around El Fasher, and the famine is expected to spread to five other areas, including El Fasher, by next May.
At the end of March, the RSF announced its control of the strategic town of Al-Maliha, located on the foothills of a mountain 200 kilometers from El Fasher.
Al-Maliha is one of the northernmost towns in the vast desert between Sudan and Libya. According to local and aid sources, it is a vital point on the Rapid Support Forces supply route.
The war that broke out two years ago between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces has killed tens of thousands of Sudanese and displaced more than 12 million, creating the largest displacement and famine crisis in the world.
