Sudan: Bombs dropped on a hospital
Sudan has been marked by violent clashes between the regular army led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhane and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) led by his former deputy, Mohamed Hamdane Daglo. The fighting began on 15 April and has spread to various parts of the country.
One of the tragic developments mentioned was the fall of shells on the Al-Nau hospital in Omdourman, a suburb of Khartoum, which caused the death of at least three civilians. This attack comes at a time when health facilities are increasingly being targeted, endangering the lives of civilians. The humanitarian situation is critical, with more than 70% of the country’s hospitals out of action, either because of bombardments, occupation by combatants or looting.
The Sudanese conflict has also affected areas south of Khartoum, as evidenced by the interruption of activities at the Jabal Awliya hospital due to heavy artillery shelling. The human toll of this conflict is high, with more than 9.000 people killed, according to the NGO Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (Acled), although this figure is considered to be a significant underestimate.
There has also been renewed fighting in El Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan state, with one child killed and many injured, as well as the destruction of homes. The UN estimates that almost 5.5 million people have been displaced or have become refugees as a result of the fighting in Sudan. The humanitarian and security situation in the country is therefore very worrying.
