The UN humanitarian affairs office has said the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) opened fire at the Saudi hospital and a local mosque, where displaced families had sought refuge. The Saudi hospital is the last functioning medical facility in the city, serving thousands of war-affected people.

The UN and its agencies, including UNFPA, condemned the assaults, said that 12 people were killed in the hospital’s maternity ward, and many others were injured. El Fasher has been under siege for over a year and has faced increased shelling and drone strikes as the RSF aimed for control of the city.

Since April 2023, the civil war has displaced 12 million people, worsening Sudan’s humanitarian crisis. Humanitarian agencies warned that civilians in El Fasher were trapped and terrified, urging an immediate ceasefire, protection of civilians, and safe humanitarian access.