More than 3,000 civilians displaced from the town of Mustariha in North Darfur are living in dire conditions after attacks by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a local medical group said on Thursday.
In a statement, the Sudan Doctors Network said the assault forced families to flee without warning, abandoning their homes, belongings and sources of livelihood. Many reportedly spent the night in the open, lacking shelter, food and safe drinking water.
According to the group’s spokesperson, Dr Tasneem Al-Amin, most of the displaced are women, including pregnant women, now facing extremely severe health and humanitarian conditions. The appeal was posted on X.
The organization warned of an imminent humanitarian catastrophe and urged international and humanitarian agencies to provide urgent support, including shelter, food, water and medical care.
The RSF currently controls four of Darfur’s five states in western Sudan, while parts of North Darfur remain under the authority of the Sudanese army. The military maintains control over most other states, including the capital, Khartoum.
Darfur accounts for roughly one-fifth of Sudan’s territory, which spans more than 1.8 million square kilometers. However, the majority of the country’s estimated 50 million population resides in areas under army control.
Fighting between the RSF and the Sudanese army erupted in April 2023 over a dispute concerning the integration of the paramilitary force into the national military structure. The protracted conflict has since fueled famine conditions in what is widely regarded as one of the world’s gravest humanitarian crises, leaving tens of thousands dead and millions displaced.
