RSF bomb children's hospital in Darfur, as famine declared in parts of Sudan

Sudan's Rapid Support Forces (RSF) targeted a children's hospital in the North Darfur town of Karnoi on Monday, as battles between the paramilitary group and the Sudanese armed forces intensify.

At least seven people were killed in the attacks, according to the Sudanese Doctors Network, while the hospital, which also houses women, sustained significant damage.

Those who were killed were said to be women and children, according to eyewitnesses and the network.

In a video broadcast by Al Jazeera, blood can be seen splattered on the hospital floor, as well as damaged equipment and walls destroyed by bullet holes.

Five others were wounded, including two children receiving treatment inside the hospital at the time of the attack.

In a statement, the Sudanese Doctors Network condemned the strikes as a war crime, calling them "nothing short of systematic terror and a brutal assault on life itself".

"What happened in Kornoi is a fully-fledged war crime that demonstrates the extent of the ongoing killings, which have turned innocent civilians into daily targets of the RSF’s fire," the network added.

The RSF also targeted the Al-Tina area near Karnoi, which is currently under the Sudanese army's control.

The paramilitary force, led by Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, currently controls broader areas of southern and central Sudan, holding the cities of El-Fasher, Nyala, El Geneina, Ed Daein, and Zalingei -  all capitals of the vast Darfur region.

The conflict erupted in April 2023 following a power struggle between Daglo and the Sudanese army chief, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan. War crimes, sexual abuse, malnutrition, and starvation have plagued Sudan since the conflict erupted, with NGOs declaring it "the world’s worst humanitarian crisis".

In a bid to expand their control, the paramilitaries are currently engaged in fierce battle with the Sudanese army in the Kordofan region, including the city of El-Obeid, the capital of the state’s north.

At least 40 Sudanese were killed and others were injured following a Rapid Support Forces strike on Al-Luweib, east of El-Obeid, on Monday. The RSF has reportedly deployed more of its forces from Darfur and other parts of Kordofan to intensify attacks on El-Obeid and its surrounding areas, according to The New Arab’s Arabic-language site, Al-Araby Al-Jadeed.

The town of Bara, which lies 30 kilometres north of El-Obeid, is also under siege, amid battles between the Sudanese army and the RSF. According to Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, the Sudanese armed forces are mobilising in North Kordofan, in a bid to regain control of the town.

Journalist Majed Ali told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that the RSF is "seeking a firm foothold in Kordofan to create a buffer zone against Darfur", which they now control after capturing El-Fasher last week.

Ali added that the army's advance and large troop buildup in El-Obeid are "worrying the RSF" and threaten their positions in South and West Kordofan.

He said that El-Obeid would be "difficult" for the RSF to capture, as it houses a military base and various other army units, including the 5th Infantry Division.

Famine in Kordofan and Darfur declared 

As the Sudanese crisis deepens, the UN on Monday declared a famine in North Darfur's El-Fasher and South Kordofan’s Kadugli.

The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) said hunger will likely persist in those regions until January 2026, amid intensified battles, sieges, and aid groups' inability to access such areas.

As the catastrophe phase of the IPC’s hunger index persists, around 20 more towns in the Greater Kordofan and Darfur regions are at risk of famine, the group said.

The ICP had already declared a famine in El-Fasher in September this year.

Over 21,2 million people in Sudan, amounting to 45 percent of the population, are currently food insecure as a result of soaring food prices, displacement, and siege.