The inhabitants of the capital of Sudan’s North Darfur State, Al-Fasher, have resorted to digging underground shelters in their yards to escape daily artillery shelling by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) which has resulted in over two thousand casualties.
The city’s residents have been living in dire conditions due to intense artillery bombardment since May, as the Sudanese Army and RSF battle for control.
Residents told Radio Tamazuj that the shelters they have dug are bombarded daily, forcing families to keep children and the elderly in them for long hours.
Magdy Salih who works at the evacuation center said that the RSF targets residential areas every day, exacerbating the suffering of civilians.
“Two weeks ago, eight children were killed by a drone strike near a mosque in the city,” he revealed.
Salih also noted that communications have been down in Al-Fasher for over a month, increasing the isolation of residents and making it difficult to seek help.
Resistance committees have appealed to local authorities to allow the reactivation of the satellite internet service, Starlink, to facilitate communication and humanitarian aid efforts.
Some residents have dug trenches in their yards to provide a haven for themselves and their neighbors. Although these shelters are not an ideal solution, they represent a means of survival under harsh conditions.
According to Salih, Al-Fasher residents remain caught between two fires, daily bombardments that threaten their lives, and the lack of adequate protection and support.
“The residents hope for international intervention and necessary support to protect them and ensure the stability of the region,” he said.