"Amidst Encroaching Conflict, Sudanese City Braces for Death, Disease, and Despair"

"In a besieged Sudanese city, impending conflict intensifies fears of death, disease, and despair. Residents confront the grim reality as they prepare for the challenges ahead, navigating through a landscape overshadowed by uncertainty and the looming threat of devastation."

Darfur teeters on the edge of another catastrophe as conflict escalates near El Fasher, the sole remaining city in the area not under the control of the Rapid Support Forces.

At the Abu Shouk camp, located on the northern outskirts of El Fasher in North Darfur, approximately seven individuals daily seek refuge with injuries sustained from nearby clashes between paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and factions aligned with the Sudanese army. Over months, the RSF has laid siege to El Fasher, North Darfur's capital, ensnaring a million residents in Sudan's last major urban center in Darfur not under paramilitary dominion. Initially shielded by a delicate peace, the city witnessed a surge in violence since April, as its two most influential armed factions, formerly instrumental in maintaining stability, pledged allegiance to the army, escalating conflict on the city's periphery.

Near Abu Shouk, fierce combat rages as army-aligned factions clash with RSF fighters positioned to the north, resulting in shells penetrating the camp and claiming numerous lives. Yet, beyond the direct toll of violence, Dr. Haroun Adam Haroun faces a myriad of challenges as the sole physician at Abu Shouk. Recent months have seen hundreds succumb to acute malnutrition, miscarriages among women, and a surge in daily malaria cases. Additionally, a mysterious respiratory ailment, potentially linked to pollution from shelling, afflicts the camp. Dr. Haroun laments the preventable deaths amidst a severe shortage of medicines and funding, compounded by the loss of livelihoods among residents and inadequate international assistance.

Sudan's conflict erupted on April 15th last year, pitching the army, led by de facto ruler Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, against the RSF, led by his former deputy, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo. Experts warn of Sudan's potential fragmentation, with the United Nations describing it as facing a humanitarian catastrophe of unprecedented scale, with famine looming and over 8.7 million individuals displaced, the highest figure globally.

El Fasher serves as a vital humanitarian center in Darfur, accommodating a significant population of internally displaced individuals, many of whom fled ethnic conflicts spanning two decades. There are profound concerns regarding the civilian impact should the RSF and allied militias escalate to a full-scale invasion. Beyond the immediate violence, fears linger about potential atrocities under RSF control. Across Darfur, the RSF and affiliated Arab militias have targeted the Masalit ethnic group, evidenced by brutal assaults in El Geneina, where the UN estimates up to 15,000 perished in two massacres last year.

Last week, US Ambassador to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, sounded alarm bells, warning of the potential for a catastrophic "large-scale massacre" should the RSF advance into El Fasher, envisioning a calamity atop an already dire situation.

In the city center, army-aligned groups maintain a strong presence, overseeing numerous checkpoints and fortifying defenses by digging a protective trench encircling the city. Recognizing the logistical challenges, the army resorted to an airlift to support these groups, as land routes remain inaccessible.

Amidst international pleas and diplomatic pressure, the RSF refrains from overtly attacking El Fasher, though no public statements have been issued by the paramilitary force. However, concerns persist regarding a potential assault, possibly from the RSF-affiliated Mahameed tribe, which wields considerable influence in North Darfur. Should the RSF's control over the tribe falter, an attack from this quarter remains a looming threat.

In mid-April, the RSF seized control of Mellit town, thereby gaining dominance over the last route into El Fasher not under army control. The repercussions were severe: the limited aid flow into the city halted entirely as the army barred aid shipments via routes controlled by the RSF. Consequently, the UN withdrew from the city, other humanitarian organizations reduced their operations, and traders avoided the area, causing a spike in food and commodity prices.

In contrast to Abu Shouk, where Haroun operates without international aid support, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) continues its presence in the Zamzam camp, south of El Fasher. MSF tends to injured individuals, offers medical aid to malnourished children and expectant mothers, maintaining vital healthcare services amidst the crisis.

Badria Ahmed, 23, has resided in Zamzam for nine years following her village's assault by the Janjaweed militia, later transforming into the RSF. Sitting alongside her son Noureldeen Ahmed Eisa in the camp, she expresses anguish: "He's unable to walk or eat. It's been this way for twelve months."

Kalouma Adam Khatir, 37, has been in the camp for seven years. She struggles to nourish her youngest child, afflicted with diarrhea. "I have no breast milk, and I endure constant headaches," she laments.

On May 1st, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) reported a mass screening conducted in March and April, covering over 63,000 children under five and pregnant or breastfeeding women, revealing a "catastrophic and life-threatening malnutrition crisis" within the camp.

Gadou Mahmadou, the MSF manager for North Darfur, highlighted grim statistics, indicating a child succumbs every 24 hours in the camp. Acute malnutrition rates reached 7.4%, deemed "extremely high," with general malnutrition at 23.7% ("very, very high") and moderate malnutrition affecting 70%. Mahmadou attributed the crisis primarily to the scarcity of humanitarian aid and food, exacerbated by the inability of some residents to farm due to insecurity, while others face challenges in accessing food due to ongoing conflict.

Claie Nicolet, the head of MSF’s emergency response in Sudan, expressed grave concern, stating, "The situation is critical, the level of suffering is immense. With the fighting escalating, we are extremely worried that it will make it even more difficult for the much-needed international support we have been calling for to arrive."

A spokesperson for the army-aligned groups in El Fasher exuded confidence that the RSF would refrain from launching a full-scale attack, asserting, "They know us, and they know our way of fighting. Unlike the army, we use the same tactics as the RSF."

Similarly, Rabie Ali Dinar, the sultan of the local Fur tribe, remained optimistic about the city's resilience against RSF incursion, citing recent army recruitment drives involving thousands, including members from his community and those with historical grievances against the Janjaweed. "El Fasher will be hard for them to win," he declared.

On Friday, clashes between the army and the RSF intensified. Medical sources reported 160 admissions to a southern hospital, including 19 children and 31 women, with 32 individuals in critical condition.

Toby Harward, the UN's deputy humanitarian coordinator for Sudan, warned of catastrophic civilian casualties and retaliatory violence across Darfur and beyond if an all-out battle for control ensues in the city, given its diverse Arab and African communities. "Everything must be done to prevent a repetition of history in Darfur," he emphasized.

In addition to direct combat, RSF fighters are targeting soldiers with sniper fire from their positions on the city's outskirts. "There are numerous army soldiers here, but the issue is that they are being killed daily at their checkpoints by snipers," shared a taxi driver anonymously. "One RSF fighter can take out 10 soldiers at once."

Source: the guardian