Sudanese medics appeal for urgent help for pregnant women fleeing RSF attacks in El-Fasher

A Sudanese medical group appealed for urgent help on Tuesday for 243 pregnant women who fled attacks by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in the western city of El-Fasher.

In a statement, the Sudan Doctors Network said that its teams documented the arrival of more than 100 pregnant women to Tawila city in North Darfur state. Another 143 pregnant women arrived at the Al-Dabba camp in the Northern State.

"Cases of miscarriage were recorded as the women fled from El-Fasher amid harsh conditions," the group said.

The network appealed to international and humanitarian organizations "to urgently provide support and strengthen health and medical services" for fleeing civilians in the area.

It also called for ensuring "the protection of mothers, providing a safe environment for childbirth, and reducing health risks facing displaced women and girls."

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) estimates that more than 100,000 civilians have fled El-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, since the RSF captured the city on Oct. 26.

The rebel group controls all five Darfur states, out of Sudan's 18 states, while the army holds most of the remaining 13 states, including Khartoum.

Darfur makes up about one-fifth of Sudan's territory, but most of the country's 50 million people live in army-held areas.

The conflict in Sudan between the army and the RSF, which began in April 2023, has killed at least 40,000 people and displaced 12 million, according to the World Health Organization.