At least 85 people have died at a single hospital in El-Fasher, Darfur, since fighting between Sudan’s warring parties reignited on May 10, according to Doctors Without Borders (MSF).
On Monday alone, nine of the 60 casualties brought to Southern Hospital—El-Fasher’s only remaining medical facility—succumbed to their injuries, said Claire Nicolet, head of MSF’s Sudan emergency program.
Since the outbreak of violence in North Darfur’s capital, the hospital has received 707 casualties, with 85 fatalities reported.
Fighting has persisted for over a year between Sudan’s regular military, led by army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), commanded Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo.
El-Fasher, the only state capital in Darfur not under RSF control, is a crucial humanitarian hub in a region teetering on the brink of famine.
This month, El-Fasher has witnessed fierce battles despite repeated UN pleas for fighters to spare the city. Eyewitnesses reported continuous artillery shelling, gunfire from both sides, and army air strikes.
Many residents, trapped in their homes by the violence, are unable to transport wounded loved ones to the hospital.
MSF highlighted that casualties reaching Southern Hospital are met by just one surgeon, placing immense pressure on the facility. The ongoing conflict has closed over 70 percent of medical facilities nationwide, severely straining those still operational.
“We have only around 10 days of supplies left,” Nicolet said, urging the warring parties to ensure “safe access” to replenish stocks.
Since the war began, tens of thousands have been killed, including up to 15,000 in a single West Darfur town, according to UN experts. Nearly nine million people have been displaced.
By the end of April, North Darfur alone hosted more than half a million newly displaced individuals over the past year, UN figures show.
