Sudan civil war: Over 300 killed in two-day attack on displacement camps
Sudan: More than 300 civilians were killed in just two days of intense fighting in Sudan’s Darfur region, the United Nations reported on Monday, as the civil war nears its two-year mark.
According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the attacks occurred on Friday and Saturday at two displacement camps, Zamzam and Abu Shorouk, in North Darfur and in the region’s capital, El Fasher. The assaults were carried out by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), who targeted famine-hit civilians already suffering from severe humanitarian conditions.
Initial reports had placed the death toll at over 100, including 20 children and nine aid workers. However, OCHA later cited local sources estimating more than 300 fatalities, including 10 humanitarian personnel from Relief International who were operating a health centre in Zamzam camp. Due to the dangerous conditions and poor communication infrastructure, these figures have not been independently verified by the Associated Press.
The conflict began on April 15, 2023, when tensions between Sudan’s military and the RSF erupted into widespread violence, starting in the capital Khartoum and spreading across the country. Since then, at least 24,000 deaths have been officially recorded, although activists suggest the real toll is significantly higher. The war has led to the world’s largest humanitarian and displacement crisis, with Sudan now the only country experiencing famine.
UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric stated that the recent RSF offensives followed the military’s regaining of control over Khartoum late last month, a symbolic win for the army. He noted that the El Fasher area, the last major stronghold not under RSF control, remains under siege.
The UN migration agency reported that between 60,000 to 80,000 families have been displaced in the past 48 hours due to these attacks. El Fasher remains overwhelmed, struggling to support the influx of internally displaced people.
Mamadou Dian Balde, the UN refugee agency’s regional director, described the situation as involving “massive violations of human rights.” Nearly 13 million Sudanese have fled their homes, 4 million to other countries, including Libya and Uganda.
The UN’s humanitarian appeal for $1.8 billion to support refugees remains just 10% funded. Balde warned that without increased international aid, migration flows could spread toward southern Africa, the Gulf, and Europe.
The surge in violence comes ahead of an international conference in London on Tuesday marking the war’s second anniversary. Organized by the UK, EU, Germany, and France, the event will see participation from over 20 foreign ministers and major global organizations. The UN Security Council is also scheduled to hold emergency consultations on the Sudan crisis.
Dujarric called on the international community to act in unity toward peace and to halt the deepening of Sudan’s humanitarian catastrophe.
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Five railway staffers injured as van headed to Rajdhani Express fire site overturns in MP
Ratlam (MP) (PTI): Five railway staffers were injured, one of them critically, when their van carrying repair equipment to the site of a Rajdhani Express fire overturned in Madhya Pradesh's Ratlam district on Sunday, officials said.
The blaze erupted in an AC coach of the Delhi-bound Thiruvananthapuram-Hazrat Nizamuddin Rajdhani Express between Vikramgarh Alot and Lunirichha stations under the Kota division of the railways in Ratlam at 5.15 am.
It disrupted the movement of several trains on the Mumbai-Delhi route, as per the officials.
A van carrying necessary equipment to Alot overturned on the way when a cow suddenly strayed into the middle of the road, they said.
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Five railwaymen were injured, one of them critically, the officials said.
The incident took place when the van carrying essential equipment for overhead electric line repair, among other things, was on its way to Alot from Shyamnagar in Ratlam, West Central Railway's chief public relations officer Harshit Shrivastava told PTI.
The injured persons were rushed to the hospital and were subsequently referred to Kota in Rajasthan, officials said.
No casualties were reported in the train fire.
