RSF shelling cripples medical facilities, water stations in Sudan’s El-Obeid: Medics

Adel Abdelrheem

Sudan Doctors Network said Friday that shelling by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on civilian facilities in El-Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan state in southern Sudan, knocked medical facilities and water stations out of service.

In a statement, the independent network said it was following with “grave concern” the shelling that targeted civilian infrastructure in El-Obeid, adding that the attack hit the city’s electricity substation and fuel stations.

The shelling “resulted in the shutdown of several medical facilities, most notably dialysis centers and emergency departments,” it said.

According to the network, the attack also led to the closure of several water stations, “further exacerbating the humanitarian situation and the daily suffering of citizens and displaced persons.”

Sudan Doctors Network said the “repeated targeting of infrastructure and basic services represents a direct threat to civilians’ lives,” adding that it has worsened conditions for more than 1 million residents and displaced people in the city.

The group called on UN and international organizations and relevant parties to assume their responsibilities and pressure RSF leadership to stop targeting civilian facilities and protect vital installations in line with international humanitarian law.

The United Nations warned Thursday of the risk of a new wave of large-scale violence in El-Obeid amid reports of RSF military buildups and escalating drone and artillery attacks.

Sudan has been engulfed in conflict since April 2023, when fighting erupted between the army and the RSF over plans to integrate the paramilitary force into the military. The war has triggered one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, killing tens of thousands and displacing nearly 13 million.

*Writing by Rania Abushamala in Istanbul