The World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday said over 600 people have lost their lives since fighting began between the Sudanese military and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group in Sudan last month, reported The VOA News.
The WHO spokesperson Tarik Jasarevic told reporters that more than 5,100 people have also been wounded in the fighting so far.
On Monday, the Sudanese Doctors’ Syndicate, which tracks civilian casualties, said the death toll had reached 487.
The conflict began on April 15th after months of disagreement between the military, led by Gen Abdel-Fattah Burhan, and RSF, commanded by Gen Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo over the integration of the paramilitary group into the army.
The two generals are former allies who together led a military coup in October 2021 that derailed a transition to civilian rule following the ouster of longtime leader Omar al-Bashir in 2019.
According to the UN migration agency, UNHCR, the fighting has displaced nearly 700,000 people on top of the 3.7 million who had already been internally displaced within the country before the conflict started.
The WHO spokesperson said at least 28 attacks on Sudanese healthcare facilities had been reported since mid-April.
Repeated cease-fire agreements have failed to end the conflict or even do much to reduce the violence. The latest round of talks is being held in Saudi Arabia’s Jeddah. The United States and Saudi Arabia-backed talks between Sudan’s warring military factions started on Saturday. No progress has been reported on the talks so far.
On Monday, the Saudi foreign ministry said that talks between delegations of both sides were expected to continue for a few more days. The country has already pledged to provide Sudan with $100 million’s worth of humanitarian aid
Also on Monday, Sudanese military leader General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan said the pre-negotiation talks with the paramilitary group leaders will have no benefit without a ceasefire.
