At least 14 civilians were killed and dozens more were injured on Friday, following an attack by paramilitary forces of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in the town of Um Arada, in Sudan’s North Kordofan state, according to a statement by the nongovernmental organization Emergency Lawyers.
As the NGO points out, the attack in the area, southwest of El Obeid, triggered a new wave of civilian displacement amid a rapid deterioration of humanitarian conditions.
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For their part, the Rapid Support Forces announced that they had captured Umm Arada, referring to a “significant turning point in operations” and a “strategic advance.” In contrast, a source from the Sudanese armed forces cited by Agence France-Presse reported that the regular army repelled two attacks in the Um Arada and Jabal al-Hasaba sectors, inflicting losses on the paramilitary forces’ personnel and equipment. Due to difficulties in accessing the area and frequent disruptions in telecommunications, information regarding the outcome of the fighting could not be confirmed by independent sources.
Acute humanitarian crisis and surge in child malnutrition
Emergency Lawyers warned of a serious escalation of the humanitarian disaster in areas under siege and lacking basic services, noting that aid distribution has been suspended in many areas due to the fighting.
Meanwhile, Save the Children reported that nearly 40,000 children have fled to El Obeid in the last six months to escape the hostilities in Kordofan, sounding the alarm about a “sharp increase in cases of child malnutrition” and an acute shortage of drinking water.
Fighting between the regular army and the Rapid Support Forces continues to rage on multiple fronts, from Khartoum to the border with Ethiopia. The armed forces control the central and eastern parts of the country, while the paramilitary groups dominate Darfur and parts of the south.
The conflict in Sudan has claimed the lives of more than 200,000 people and led to the displacement of over 12 million civilians, constituting —according to the United Nations—the largest humanitarian crisis on the planet.
Source: CNA
