Sudan Conflict: 85 Dead in El-Fasher Hospital Amid Ongoing Fighting

At least 85 people have died in El-Fasher's Southern Hospital since fighting resumed in Sudan on May 10, with the hospital struggling to cope amid severe shortages. The conflict between the Sudanese military and paramilitary forces has left nearly nine million people displaced and decimated medical facilities nationwide.

At least 85 people have died at Southern Hospital in El-Fasher, Darfur, since fighting reignited between Sudan's warring factions on May 10, according to Doctors Without Borders. Claire Nicolet, head of the charity’s Sudan emergency program, reported that on Monday alone, nine of the 60 casualties received at the hospital succumbed to their injuries.

Since the conflict resumed, the hospital has treated 707 casualties, of which 85 have died. For over a year, Sudan has been embroiled in a brutal conflict between the regular military, led by army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), commanded by his former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Daglo.

El-Fasher remains the only state capital in Darfur not under RSF control and serves as a critical humanitarian hub in a region facing severe food shortages. Despite repeated pleas from international organizations like the United Nations to spare the city, intense battles have continued. Eyewitnesses have reported heavy artillery shelling, gunfire, and army air strikes.

Residents, trapped by the violence, often cannot reach medical facilities. Southern Hospital, the only operational medical facility in El-Fasher, is overwhelmed. With only one surgeon available, the hospital is under immense strain. The war has closed over 70 percent of medical facilities nationwide, leaving the remaining ones overstretched.

Doctors Without Borders warned that Southern Hospital has only about ten days of supplies left. Nicolet urged the warring factions to provide safe access for humanitarian aid to replenish stocks.

The ongoing conflict in Sudan has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths, including up to 15,000 in a single town in West Darfur, according to UN experts. The violence has also displaced nearly nine million people. By the end of April, North Darfur alone hosted over half a million newly displaced individuals within the past year, as per the latest UN figures.

The dire situation in El-Fasher highlights the urgent need for a humanitarian corridor and international intervention to prevent further loss of life and alleviate the suffering of the people in Darfur.