'No safe options' for thousands sheltering in key Sudan city as RSF fighters advance

The RSF launched a record number of drone strikes on the city in June, according to the monitoring group Armed Conflict Location and Event Data (Acled). The number of attacks only fell in July because the RSF was responding to Sudanese military attacks elsewhere in Sudan, analysts added.Satellite images show that despite the strikes, el-Obeid's displacement camp has continued to swell, with hundreds of new tents erected since March. The UN has estimated that more than 83,000 civilians have now fled fighting in other parts of the state and sought shelter in the city.As the displacement camps have expanded, the conditions in el-Obeid have deteriorated. Last week the UN warned nearly 400,000 people in the city's vicinity are facing food shortages, following a sustained effort by RSF commanders to cut off supply routes into the city for months, creating what one UN official called a "functional siege".Locals have previously said that supply convoys attempting to reach the city have been targeted by drone attacks, while the charity Islamic Relief - which has operated aid stations in el-Obeid - told BBC Verify that flights carrying aid arriving via the airport have also stopped.Aid agencies say the food and water shortages have been exacerbated by RSF drone strikes on critical infrastructure. Verified video footage last month showed a massive explosion at a fuel station in the heart of the city after one such strike, while satellite images also appear to damage to power stations and supply warehouses in the city's market district.One humanitarian official working with Islamic Relief said the slowing of drone strikes in recent days has improved the situation in the city. But he emphasised that while more aid is being distributed and some power has been restored, the situation remained extremely "unpredictable" - with fuel shortages still an issue."Every day we are seeing new arrivals due to fighting in areas around el-Obeid. It is not possible to get the exact number of people who are arriving on a daily basis, but it would be about 80 or 100 households daily," the aid worker said.