Recent reports from the Darfur region of Sudan are painting a grim picture of the ongoing conflict. The Darfur Initiative for Justice and Peace has described an airstrike on a market as the “deadliest single bombing since the beginning of the war.” While the exact death toll is not yet clear, the situation is dire.
The Emergency Lawyers group, a Sudanese war monitor, has accused the country’s military of killing hundreds of people in the air strike. Since the civil war began in April 2023, this group has been documenting abuses by both the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The bombing of the Tur’rah market has been labeled a “horrific massacre” by the Emergency Lawyers group, leaving hundreds injured.
Despite denials from military spokespersons that the attack targeted civilians, allegations of bombing civilian areas by both the RSF and the country’s armed forces are not new. The conflict in Darfur has seen the use of drones by the RSF and warplanes by the army, with civilian casualties mounting.
A Call for Action
The Darfur Initiative for Justice and Peace has labeled Sudan as a country at war, with the civilian death toll rising as the conflict escalates. Approximately 12 million Sudanese people have been displaced from their homes, a number equivalent to the entire population of Belgium or Tunisia. The United Nations reports that more than half of the country is facing high levels of acute food insecurity, making Sudan the world’s worst humanitarian crisis with at least 150,000 people killed in the conflict.
As the humanitarian crisis worsens, the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs is urging immediate action to address the growing needs of the population. The situation in Sudan is dire, and urgent intervention is required to prevent further loss of life.
