Sudan: Attack by RSF militias, El Fasher hospital has to cease operations

The hospital in El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur state, was forced to close after a violent attack by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which have been besieging the city for several weeks. According to the non-governmental organization Doctors Without Borders (MSF) in a statement, the RSF raided the hospital last Saturday, attacking patients, staff and visitors, and looting money, mobile phones and an ambulance. The attack was eventually repelled by the army and allied armed movements after fierce fighting. Ibrahim Abdallah, director general of the Ministry of Health in North Darfur state, confirmed to the Sudan Tribune newspaper that the hospital was no longer operational and that patients and staff had been evacuated to safe locations. He added that the RSF executed several patients and kidnapped visitors during the attack, as well as looting money, medicines and an ambulance and destroying vehicles. “It is scandalous that the RSF opened fire in the hospital. This is not an isolated incident, as staff and patients have been attacked from all sides for weeks, but opening fire in the hospital goes too far,” said Michel Lacharite, emergency manager of MSF, which runs the hospital in partnership with the Ministry of Health.

At the time of the attack, only ten patients and a small medical team were on site, as both MSF and the Ministry of Health had begun transferring patients and services to other facilities due to the escalation of violence. The South Hospital was one of only two hospitals in El Fasher with surgical capacity and served as the primary referral center for the treatment of war-wounded victims. Between May 10 and June 6, more than 1,300 victims were treated at the hospital, MSF reports. Since May 10, El Fasher has been the scene of fierce fighting between the army and allied armed movements against the RSF. The conflict has caused numerous civilian casualties, widespread displacement, and significant damage to infrastructure. El Fasher is the last town in the Darfur region not under the control of the RSF, which has already seized control of South, Central, West, and East Darfur since late last year.

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