Last civilian hospital in holdout Darfur city forced to close

An attack by the Rapid Support Forces paramilitary group has forced the last hospital treating civilian patients in El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, to close, according to Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF).

“On Saturday, MSF and the ministry of health suspended all activities in South Hospital, El Fasher, North Darfur, after RSF soldiers stormed the facility, opened fire and looted it, including stealing an MSF ambulance,” the medical charity posted on X.

It’s unclear how many casualties there were, but MSF’s head of operations in Sudan told the BBC: "The hospital is really close to the front line, so it will remain closed for now.”

Fighting has intensified in recent weeks around El Fasher, the only city in the western region of Darfur that has not yet been captured by the RSF.

Last week, the RSF was accused of killing more than 100 people and injuring dozens more in the village of Wad al-Noura, south of the Sudanese capital, Khartoum. Women and children were reported to be among those killed.

As the alleged atrocities mounted, UN special adviser Alice Wairimu Nderitu raised fears last month of a genocide and called for more international attention on events in Sudan.

"Increased hostilities in El Fasher have now opened a really alarming chapter in this conflict," she told the BBC. "I'm calling for attention to this particular conflict. I have been trying to get my voice out but my voice is drowned out by other wars – in Ukraine and Gaza."

Since the rival leaders of the Sudanese Armed Forces and the RSF fell out and plunged the country into a civil war in April 2023, more than 7 million people have been internally displaced, and 24.8 million are in need of assistance.

For more on the unfolding events in Sudan, check out our coverage, which includes in-depth analysis and reporting from the ground.