As RSF Advances into Gezira State, Humanitarian Crisis Looms

By Al Mayadeen English

24 Dec 2023 12:37

The situation in Gezira State has reached a critical point as RSF advanced into Wad Madani city, prompting the evacuation of all international organizations' offices and personnel.

The Sudanese Ministry of Health has raised concerns about a potential health disaster that may result in the loss of thousands of lives among Sudanese citizens. This comes as a consequence of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) advancing into the city of Wad Madani, the capital of Gezira state.

Gezira, situated in the central-eastern region between the Blue Nile and the White Nile, serves as a crucial center for medical supplies and services.

According to the Sudanese Ministry of Health, Gezira has been a refuge for more than 5 million patients and serves as a center for specialized services and medical supplies for over 25 million Sudanese in the central, southern, and western regions.

The Ministry emphasized that the gravest concern, indicating a looming disaster, is the evacuation of all United Nations agencies and international organizations' offices and personnel from Gezira as the RSF advanced into the city of Wad Madani.

Concurrently, the World Food Programme (WFP), a UN agency, announced the temporary suspension of aid delivery in some parts of Gezira in Sudan last Thursday, where it supported more than 800,000 people.

The Sudanese Ministry of Health emphasized that the loss of patients, especially children, mothers, and those with chronic diseases, will be in the thousands, exceeding the number lost to violence and weapons.

The Ministry also called for the withdrawal of the Rapid Support Forces from all health institutions, ensuring their protection, and not damaging them. It also urged the protection of healthcare personnel and ambulance crews, facilitating their movement to transport patients for treatment. Additionally, it emphasized the need to facilitate the work of health organizations, protect their staff, and open passages to provide services to Sudanese civilians.

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Wad Madani, a crucial aid hub located approximately 170 km southeast of Khartoum, is facing intensified clashes between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The city, previously considered a haven for civilians escaping the clashes in the capital since April, has now devolved into a war zone.

The RSF's offensive and potential takeover of Wad Madani could exacerbate the already dire humanitarian situation, causing mass displacement and further escalating the crisis in areas directly impacted by the conflict. The densely populated city has become a battleground, with fighter jets soaring overhead, black smoke billowing, and explosions echoing from the northern outskirts.

Sudan's army claims to be holding steadfast in resisting the offensive, but the situation remains tense, threatening the safety of the city's residents. The conflict between the Sudanese army and the RSF rebels has already displaced nearly 7 million people, devastated the capital, and triggered ethnically driven killings in Darfur.

Reports from residents in Khartoum and other cities detail disturbing incidents of rape, looting, arbitrary killings, and detentions by the RSF.