Airstrikes, Clashes Escalate in Sudan, Leaving Khartoum Residents Struggling To Survive

The southern parts of Sudan’s capital, Khartoum, faced intense airstrikes on Thursday as battles erupted near a military camp, displacing nearly 1 million people and straining the city’s residents. Army-led airstrikes targeted the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), resonating across several residential neighborhoods, including near the Taiba camp. A police reserve force allied with the army was also engaged in ground combat with the RSF.

The army is relying heavily on air power and artillery to suppress the RSF, which has spread across Khartoum and its neighboring cities Bahri and Omdurman, since the conflict began on April 15. Residents are trapped in their homes, fearing looting and further violence.

The escalating conflict in Sudan has displaced over 840,000 individuals within the country, according to recent estimates, with an additional 220,000 seeking refuge in neighboring nations. In response, the UN World Food Program is escalating its operations. The expanded effort is targeting at least six states within Sudan to aid approximately 4.9 million individuals who are particularly vulnerable due to the crisis. The organization is also extending assistance to those who have fled to neighboring countries such as Chad, Egypt, and South Sudan.

Both army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, also known as Hemedti, are believed to be in Khartoum during the conflict. This struggle has its roots in a dispute over the RSF joining the army and future command structure under an internationally supported transition to civilian rule. Despite mediation efforts by the US and Saudi Arabia, a cease-fire is yet to be achieved.