Over 5,500 children displaced by fighting in Sudan’s el-Obeid, charity says

Over 5,500 children displaced by fighting in Sudan’s el-Obeid, charity saysSave the Children says families in and around the besieged city of el-Obeid are facing increasingly difficult living conditions.More than 5,500 children have been newly displaced by fighting over the strategic Sudanese city of el-Obeid, and thousands more are at risk, Save the Children has warned.“As families arrive in displacement sites and into local communities, they face increasingly difficult living conditions,” the international charity said in a statement. “Many are struggling to access adequate shelter, clean water, healthcare and education services, while overcrowding is placing additional pressure on already limited resources.”Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3UN sounds ‘red alert’ over human rights catastrophe in Sudan’s el-Obeidlist 2 of 3Sudan’s maternity wards reopen, bringing hope amid war struggleslist 3 of 3El-Obeid is surrounded by the RSF: Could it be the next el-Fasher?end of listEl-Obeid is home to more than half a million people and served as a key humanitarian lifeline for northwestern Sudan.It has become the latest focus of the civil war between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group that controls the Darfur region.The city, where the government’s 5th Infantry Division is based, has been besieged by the RSF for months, and targeted by intensifying drone attacks that have killed civilians and destroyed civilian infrastructure, resulting in severe fuel and water shortages.“Throughout June, the situation… was extremely challenging – drones rained heavily in and around the city,” Emad, a civilian living in el-Obeid with his family, told Save the Children. “About 11 fuel stations were hit, along with fuel tankers… Additionally, tankers sitting idle inside the city were also hit, including water tankers.”Siege-like conditions and overcrowding from internal displacement have also exacerbated a seasonal cholera outbreak, with 300 cases confirmed by Sudan’s State Ministry of Health, the charity said.