Humanitarian aid ‘impossible’ as fighting in Sudan traps millions

A major aid organisation says it is nearly impossible to provide humanitarian services in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, where fighting between rival political factions has trapped millions of people in their homes.

“The truth is that at the moment it is almost impossible to provide any humanitarian services in and around Khartoum,” said Farid Aiywar, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent societies’ head of delegation for Sudan. “There are calls from various organisations and people trapped asking for evacuation.”

At least 185 people have been killed and more than 1,800 injured in more than four days of fighting that has pitted army units loyal to Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the head of Sudan’s transitional governing sovereign council, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), led by Gen Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, who is deputy head of the council. Their power struggle has derailed a shift to civilian rule and raised fears of a wider conflict.

Hopes of possible relief were raised on Tuesday when the rival commanders appeared to agree to a 24-hour ceasefire after calls by the US secretary of state, Antony Blinken. He separately telephoned Dagalo and Burhan to express “grave concern” about civilian deaths and to urge them to agree to a ceasefire.

Dagalo, whose whereabouts have not been disclosed since fighting began, said the RSF had approved the 24-hour ceasefire to ensure the safe passage of civilians and evacuation of wounded people.

In a post on Twitter, Hemedti said he had “discussed pressing issues” with Blinken during their call and more talks were planned. The RSF also issued a statement saying it was waging a continuing battle to restore “the rights of our people” in what it called a new revolution.

However, after the ceasefire was due to begin at 6pm local time, gunfire could still be heard in Khartoum.

Days of street battles have deprived much of Khartoum of basic services, cutting off supplies of food and medicine and trapping thousands of students in schools and colleges. The death toll is thought to be considerably higher than the 185 estimated by the UN, with reports of many bodies lying in the streets.

Gunfire echoed across the capital on Tuesday accompanied by the almost continuous sound of warplanes and explosions. Residents of the neighbouring cities of Omdurman and Bahri also reported airstrikes that shook buildings, and anti-aircraft fire. Witnesses described heavy fighting in other parts of Sudan.

Hospitals have been caught in the crossfire as warring factions fight for control of the capital. At Omdurman teaching hospital, medical staff appeared to be overwhelmed by the number of injured civilians and soldiers seeking treatment on Tuesday. Aiywar said the health system was close to collapse.

The main international airport and all Sudanese airspace has been shut, so no supplies can come in by air.

Analysts said only pressure from “a coalition of actors” would have a chance of ending the fighting. Ahmed Soliman, a regional expert at Chatham House in London, said: “The US doesn’t have the influence to do it alone but can possibly corral different actors … There needs to be a ceasefire and then a broad coalition to push to make it permanent but I don’t think that’s going to happen soon.”

The US stepped up its involvement after its diplomats were shot at by fighters associated with the RSF on Monday. Blinken called the attack on a convoy “reckless” and “irresponsible”.

Almost all international humanitarian operations have been suspended amid attacks on facilities run by the UN and others. Warehouses and offices have been looted or caught in the crossfire, and in Khartoum aid workers were not able to access stores to deliver vital medical supplies to hospitals.

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), the international humanitarian medical organisation, received 136 wounded patients at the hospital it supports in El Fasher, North Darfur, in a 48-hour period. Eleven people later died of their injuries.

Cyrus Paye, an MSF project coordinator in El Fasher, said most of the wounded people were civilians caught in the crossfire, including many children often with extremely serious injuries. “The hospital [here] is rapidly running out of medical supplies to treat survivors … and fuel supplies for the hospital generator are also running low … Without these vital supplies, there will be further loss of life,” he said.

In Khartoum, fighters were turning back ambulances attempting to retrieve bodies from the streets or transport injured people to hospital, MSF said.

Many parts of Khartoum were without power for a fourth day, disrupting water supplies and communications.

The fighting has exacerbated an acute economic crisis, with the cost of staple foods such as flour, rice and cooking oil rising sharply. “Since yesterday prices of goods in the market here have been increasing and there are fears of shortages,” said one aid worker based in Al-Qadarif, 250 miles (400km) south-east of Khartoum. “Banks are closed and with the breakdown of law and order, there is concern that criminality will increase.”