The World Health Organization (WHO) has expressed deep concern over recent attacks in Sudan’s Darfur region, describing them as “shocking” after airstrikes claimed dozens of lives and injured many more.
“The most recent attacks in Kabkabiya, North Darfur, that claimed at least 80 lives and injured hundreds are shocking,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated on Thursday. He extended sympathies to the affected communities, highlighting the escalating humanitarian crisis in the region.
Human rights groups have reported even higher casualties from the attack on Kabkabiya, which occurred during the town’s weekly market day. The pro-democracy Emergency Lawyers group said more than 100 people were killed and hundreds injured, including women and children, as residents from nearby villages gathered to shop.
The incident is part of a broader pattern of violence in Sudan, where the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have been waging war since April 2023. Both sides have faced accusations of indiscriminately targeting civilians and bombing residential areas.
Over two days this week, at least 176 people were killed in strikes across the country, according to an AFP tally based on reports from officials, activists, and lawyers.
Humanitarian Crisis Deepens
The ongoing conflict has killed tens of thousands and displaced 12 million people, with nearly nine million of those displaced within Sudan itself. Many are trapped in regions with devastated infrastructure, facing acute food insecurity and the threat of starvation.
The United Nations estimates that nearly 26 million people—half of Sudan’s population—are now grappling with acute hunger. Darfur, home to a quarter of Sudan’s population, hosts over half of the country’s displaced people and is largely controlled by the RSF.
WHO has warned of dire conditions in Darfur, where health facilities are struggling with non-functional equipment and severe shortages of medical supplies. Earlier this month, the UN agency delivered trauma and surgery kits to the region to help treat the injured and prevent further loss of life.
As violence continues to devastate Sudan, the international community remains alarmed by the deteriorating humanitarian and health conditions.