Eight volunteers killed in North Darfur capital as renewed bombardments intensify

Eight volunteers were killed in a charity kitchen in El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, on Tuesday after a projectile launched by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) struck the place. The city is experiencing fierce renewed battles as the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and allied movements clash with the RSF, which has been attempting to seize control for several months.

A resident told Radio Dabanga that the projectile hit the southern city district of Tambasi, killing eight volunteers helping out in a soup kitchen in the neighbourhood.

The violence in El Fasher has become a near-daily occurrence, prompting residents to flee the confrontations and indiscriminate shelling that have killed and injured dozens.

Residents reported hearing gunfire and explosions on Wednesday.

Despite the efforts of many of those attempting to flee the city, reports state that they regularly face marauding gangs of looters. According to witnesses, warplanes targeted RSF positions in northern and eastern El Fasher yesterday morning, although the extent of the damage remains unclear. 

The city has seen a sharp increase in travel ticket prices as more people try to leave due to the escalating conflict. The prices of transportation and goods have surged due to the siege of El Fasher and the intensifying battles.

A ticket from El Fasher to Nyala now costs SDG100,000 up from SDG60,000, and journeys to other areas have similarly seen price hikes. The increase in goods and services prices have continued to compound the suffering of people at the mercy of the warring belligerents.