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(CNN) Half of the Sudan capital’s hospitals are “non-functioning” due to escalating clashes, according to a major aid organization.
“According to the information we got in Khartoum, 50% of the hospitals are out of action in the first 72 hours,” said Abdallah Hussein, operations manager of Sudan’s Doctors Without Borders (MSF). “This is either because the staff didn’t feel safe going there, or the hospital itself is under shelling and bombing,” he said.
At least 270 people have been killed and more than 2,600 injured since clashes broke out between the Sudanese army and paramilitary Emergency Response Forces (RSF) on Saturday, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
At the heart of the conflict is a power struggle between the group’s leaders. Sudanese military commander Abdel Fattah al-Bahhan and his RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (also known as Hemedoti).
International governments have called for a ceasefire as residents fear gunfire, allowing authorities to distribute aid and coordinate evacuations amid attacks on foreigners, including diplomatic staff.
On Wednesday, Japan said it was preparing to send troops to evacuate its citizens from Sudan.
Japan has been able to contact all 60 of its citizens in Sudan, including embassy staff, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said at an emergency press conference. No injuries have been reported, but food and water are in short supply, and power outages are frequent due to insecurity.
Further details regarding the deployment of Japan’s Self-Defense Forces will be discussed later, he added.
A RSF (Rapid Support Forces) vehicle damaged in a clash with Sudanese forces.
Satellite imagery shows burning buildings at Merowe Air Force Base on April 18.
The United States has not announced plans for an evacuation operation for Americans in Sudan, but it is urging its citizens to stay indoors, find shelter in place, and stay away from windows.
Other countries have issued recommendations to their citizens in Sudan. China asked its citizens to stay vigilant and register their information online at the Chinese embassy in Khartoum. The Indian embassy in Sudan also issued a recommendation on Tuesday asking citizens to stay indoors and distribute supplies for looting.
Attacks on UN staff and foreigners
Advisories are issued as reports of attacks on foreigners and staff emerge.
Armed personnel broke into the homes of people working for the United Nations and other international organizations in downtown Khartoum, according to an internal UN document reviewed by CNN.
Armed men sexually assaulted women and stole their cars and other belongings, according to documents. One rape case was also reported to him. These armed personnel were “informed by the RSF of breaking into the residences of foreigners, separating and hauling away men and women,” the report read.
A queue to buy bread in the Sudanese capital on April 18.
A man inspects a damaged house in Khartoum on April 17.
CNN was unable to independently verify the alleged attacks. The RSF denied the allegations and accused the Sudanese military of committing crimes while wearing RSF uniforms. The military denied involvement in the breach and repeatedly accused the RSF of committing crimes against humanity.
In another incident cited in the document, two Nigerian men working for an international organization were kidnapped and later released. The building of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs was targeted. A rocket-propelled grenade hit the home of a local UN worker in Khartoum.
On Wednesday, medical charity MSF said its facility in Nyala, South Darfur, had been raided by armed men who “stole everything, including vehicles and office equipment.”
MSF said on its official Twitter account, “Our warehouses where we store critical medical supplies were also raided. We don’t know to what extent because we don’t have access.”
“We urge you to respect the protection of humanitarian organizations and their facilities again. Our current priority is to ensure the safety of our staff,” the post added.
Other recent incidents include a US diplomatic convoy being gunned down, the EU ambassador to Sudan being assaulted in his Khartoum enclave, and three workers from the UN World Food Program clashing. including being murdered by
CNN’s Irene Nasser contributed to this report.
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