At least 85 people have been killed at a hospital in El Fasher, Darfur, since fighting between warring factions in Sudan reignited on May 10, according to Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) on Tuesday.
On Monday, nine out of 60 wounded patients brought to El Fasher South Hospital, the only operational medical facility in the city, succumbed to their injuries, said Claire Nicolet, MSF’s emergency response lead in Sudan.
Since the clashes began in the capital of North Darfur state, the hospital has treated 707 injured individuals, with 85 fatalities recorded.
Sudan has been embroiled in conflict for over a year, pitting the army, led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, against the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) commanded by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo.
El Fasher, a critical hub for aid in the region, hosts a quarter of Sudan’s 48 million population. It remains the only state capital in Darfur not under RSF control.
This month, the city has witnessed intense battles despite repeated UN appeals for both sides to avoid fighting in the area.
Witnesses reported renewed artillery fire, gunfire exchanges, and airstrikes by the army. MSF noted that a single surgeon is handling the influx of patients at the southern hospital, putting immense pressure on the facility.
The ongoing war has shuttered over 70% of Sudan’s medical facilities, severely straining those still operational. Nicolet warned that the southern hospital has only about 10 days’ worth of supplies left and urged the warring factions to establish a “safe corridor” to allow for the resupply of essential medical stocks.
Since the conflict erupted, tens of thousands have died, including 15,000 in a single city in Darfur, according to the UN.
The violence has displaced approximately 9 million people. By the end of April, more than half a million new internally displaced persons had arrived in North Darfur alone over the past year, the UN reported.
