In a harrowing turn of events, hundreds of families were forced to evacuate a suburb of Khartoum, Ombada, on Wednesday, following a deadly incident the previous evening. Activists and residents on the ground informed AFP that Sudanese army shelling had resulted in the tragic loss of 19 civilian lives.
This recent exodus further exacerbates the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Sudan, with nearly 2.8 million individuals already displaced from the capital city. This grim situation unfolded in a city that once boasted a population of around five million before the eruption of hostilities on April 15, pitting the Sudanese Armed Forces against the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
Residents from the embattled area of Ombada, a district in Omdurman, Khartoum’s sister city located across the Nile, reported the alarming developments. Speaking under the condition of anonymity due to security concerns, one resident stated, “Hundreds of families are fleeing Ombada.” Another resident, also requesting anonymity, added, “Combat has intensified since Tuesday and now includes air strikes on Wednesday.”
The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) maintain control over the skies above Khartoum and have consistently conducted aerial bombardments, while the RSF fighters dominate the city’s streets.
According to a statement issued by the Ombada resistance committee on Tuesday evening, the army had “bombarded the paramilitaries with artillery and drones.” Tragically, these rounds missed their intended targets, resulting in the loss of 19 innocent civilian lives. It is worth noting that these committees, once primarily responsible for organizing pro-democracy rallies, have now shifted their focus to providing various forms of community assistance and relief during this ongoing conflict.
For years, the RSF has established bases within residential areas. However, during the war, accusations surfaced from the United States and Saudi Arabia, who had earlier mediated unsuccessful ceasefires. These nations accused the paramilitary group of occupying “civilian homes, private businesses, and public buildings,” some of which were looted.
The US-supported Sudan Conflict Observatory emphasized that the SAF “must prioritize minimizing civilian harm, regardless of whether a target is deemed a legitimate military objective.”
The conflict in Khartoum continues to rage on, with residents from various districts in the Khartoum area reporting skirmishes between the SAF, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the RSF, led by General Mohamed Hamdan Daglo.
This tragedy comes on the heels of another devastating incident over the weekend when activists reported an air strike in the south of Khartoum that claimed the lives of 20 civilians.
With the war already taking the lives of approximately 5,000 people, according to data from the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED), the situation is dire. More than 4.8 million individuals have been either internally displaced or have fled to neighboring countries, according to the United Nations. Regrettably, these numbers are anticipated to rise in the coming months.
In response to this deepening crisis, the United Nations has recently doubled its aid appeal to a staggering $1 billion. This funding is crucial to providing assistance to the nearly two million individuals expected to flee Sudan for neighboring countries by the end of this year.
