Death toll exceeds 200 in Sudanese city under RSF siege: Medical group

KHARTOUM, Sudan

The death toll in Al-Hilaliya, a city in Sudan's central Al Jazirah state, has risen to over 200 following two weeks of ongoing siege and attacks by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group.

The RSF escalated its assault on the city beginning Oct. 25, according to a statement from the Sudan Doctors Syndicate, with the tally including deaths due to illness, starvation, and torture.

The syndicate reported severe shortages in health care as a result of the siege, noting that many residents have been forced to drink unsafe water, leading to outbreaks of diseases.

"The RSF forces seized the residents in several mosques (in the city), and do not allow them to leave unless they pay large amounts of money," the statement added.

The RSF has not yet responded to these claims.

Since mid-April 2023, the Sudanese Armed Forces and the RSF have been engaged in a conflict that has resulted in more than 20,000 deaths and displaced nearly 10 million people, according to the UN.

There have been growing calls from the UN and international bodies to end the conflict, as the war has pushed millions of Sudanese to the brink of famine and death due to food shortages, with the fighting spreading to 13 of Sudan's 18 states.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar