Baku, May 13, AZERTAC

On the morning of 10 May 2024, clashes between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and forces from the armed movements against the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) renewed in Al Fasher, North Darfur State, according to the official website of the United Nations Office for the dlCoordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA).

The clashes, including airstrikes and the use of heavy weapons, started mid-morning in the eastern part of Al Fasher Town and continued until 6:30 pm. The clashes extended into the centre of the town, the outskirts of the main market, and into neighbourhoods resulting in civilian deaths and injuries. An estimated 850 people (170 families) were displaced to various locations across Al Fasher locality due to the clashes, according to the International Organization for Migration Displacement Tracking Matrix (IOMDTM) Flash Alert: Conflict in Al Fasher locality report. People have reportedly fled from areas to the east and northwest of Al Fasher Town to areas south of the town. Emergency Response Rooms (ERRs) and the Coordination Council on the ground in Al Fasher are trying to respond to the affected people. Although the clashes have stopped, there are concerns they may resume soon.

The people wounded have sought treatment at the Al Fasher South Hospital in Al Fasher Town. Unconfirmed reports indicate that at least 27 people have been killed, including women and children, while about 130 people have been injured. The hospital, which has a 100-bed capacity, has surpassed its maximum capacity. During the fighting, the hospital did not have an ambulance to transport the injured people and it has limited medical equipment and medicines needed to treat the injured and no surgical supplies. Humanitarians are currently assessing the situation, the needs, and the capacity to respond to the needs of people affected by the conflict.

Between 1 and 18 April, over 40,600 people were reportedly displaced within Al Fasher locality following inter-tribal conflict and clashes between SAF and RSF in multiple locations across Al Fasher, Kebkabiya and Kutum localities, according to the IOM DTM Sudan Focused Flash Alert, North Darfur report.

Humanitarian access into Al Fasher has been severely constrained due to disruptions in crossline and cross-border access. So far in 2024, only 39 trucks reached Al Fasher via crossline and cross-border through OCHA-coordinated movements. The trucks transported health, nutrition and food supplies for an estimated 186,000 people. Some 1,500 MT of non-food items (NFIs) at the Tine crossing point have been waiting for approval for onward movement for three weeks, depriving more than 94,000 people of assistance. In addition, the 13 trucks carrying health, nutrition and NFI supplies for over 121,000 people dispatched from Port Sudan on 3 April are still en route to Al Fasher due to delays in getting clearances at checkpoints, and more recently insecurity.

Even before these most recent developments, more than a year of conflict and persistent access obstructions hampering the sustained delivery of aid and other basic commodities has exacerbated the humanitarian crisis in Darfur, home to 9 million people in need.