Assalamu alaikum - Hundreds killed, including hospital patients, after El-Fasher seized
Assalamu alaikum. I’m sharing what I learned so others know what’s happening in El-Fasher, Sudan.
Over the weekend, Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces took control of El-Fasher in North Darfur. Multiple sources - including UN agencies, displaced residents, and aid workers - report that hundreds of people were killed, and many of the victims were patients and companions inside a hospital. The World Health Organization’s director-general said around 460 patients and their companions were reportedly killed at the Saudi Maternity Hospital in the city. The WHO said they were “appalled and deeply shocked” by these reports.
Local medical groups tracking the conflict say fighters entered the hospital and killed everyone they found there, including patients and anyone in the wards. People who fled describe horrific scenes: houses searched, people beaten or shot, and many dying in the streets while trying to escape. Displaced residents who made it out say attackers showed no mercy, and vulnerable people - including those with disabilities who couldn’t run - were shot. Men and women who survived the escape tell of detainees being beaten, tortured, and some later dying of their wounds. There are also reports of sexual assault against women and girls.
A number of families were killed; doctors in nearby towns are now treating many wounded and a large number of orphaned, malnourished, and dehydrated children brought from El-Fasher. One pediatrician described receiving siblings whose family had been killed, including a 40-day-old baby.
Humanitarian researchers using satellite imagery say the attacks included alleged executions and mass killings near the maternity hospital and other sites in the city, and that health facilities and humanitarian workers were targeted. Aid groups warn the full scale of the killings is likely undercounted because communications were cut off and access is limited.
These events have sparked international condemnation, with governments and human rights groups calling for action to protect civilians and hold perpetrators accountable.
May Allah protect the innocent, grant shifa to the wounded, and bring justice for the victims. Please keep the people of Sudan in your duas, and consider supporting reputable Muslim or international relief organizations helping the displaced and injured.
https://www.arabnews.com/node/