Sudan Umm Arda attack kills 14, NGO blames RSF

An attack on the Sudanese town of Umm Arda killed more than 14 civilians and wounded dozens, the local NGO Emergency Lawyers said Friday, blaming the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.

Emergency Lawyers said the RSF attacked Umm Arda, southwest of El Obeid in the Kordofan region, and that civilians were being displaced from the area.

Earlier Friday, the RSF claimed it had taken control of the town, calling it “a significant shift in field operations”. A Sudanese army source said the army had repelled two attacks in Umm Arda and Jabal al-Hashaba and had inflicted losses on the RSF.

The details and outcome of the fighting could not be independently verified because of access difficulties and communication disruptions in the area.

Emergency Lawyers, a rights group that has documented atrocities by both sides of Sudan's war, warned that the humanitarian crisis was worsening in areas already under siege and lacking basic services. It said humanitarian aid had also been suspended in several areas.

Save the Children said Friday that about 40,000 children had fled to El Obeid to escape fighting in North Kordofan. The group reported rising child malnutrition and severe food shortages in two camps where it supports displaced people, and said water shortages were forcing some families to spend nearly half their day searching for water.

Sudan's war is now in its fourth year. It has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced millions. The army controls much of central and eastern Sudan, while the RSF controls Darfur in the west and parts of the south.