3 hours ago
2
At least 60 people have been killed in a drone strike at a displacement shelter in el-Fasher, a besieged Sudanese city on the brink of collapse.
The resistance committee for el-Fasher, made up of local citizens and activists, said the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) hit Dar al-Arqam camp, located within a university, with two drone strikes and eight artillery shells.
"Children, women and the elderly were killed in cold blood, and many were completely burned," a statement from the group said.
Eyewitnesses described scenes of panic as rescuers pulled bodies from the rubble.
Hospitals already struggling under months of siege have been overwhelmed, with doctors treating the wounded on floors and in corridors.
The RSF has surrounded el-Fasher for the last 17 months, in an attempt to take control of the Sudanese army's last stronghold in the Darfur region.
The situation in el-Fasher has "gone beyond disaster and genocide", the resistance group said.
Sudan has been ravished by conflict since 2023, after top commanders of the RSF and Sudanese army fell out and a vicious power struggle ensued - creating one of the worst humanitarian crises.
In recent weeks, the RSF has intensified its assault on el-Fasher, leading experts to believe the city could soon fall unless the army receives immediate reinforcements.
Research showed the RSF had finished building an earthen wall around el-Fasher, bolstering their siege and making it even harder for civilians to escape.
The UN said there were 250,000 civilians trapped in el-Fasher, and warned that continued strikes on civilian areas may amount to war crimes.
Hunger and disease has spread across the city as residents contend with constant bombardment and dwindling food and medical supplies.
Two days ago, at least 13 people were killed after the RSF shelled one of the last remaining hospitals in el-Fasher.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk condemned the continued killing and injuring of civilians on Friday.
"I am appalled by the RSF's endless and wanton disregard for civilian life," he said.
