On 29 April 2023, Sudan’s Federal Ministry of Health reported that the death toll from clashes between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces had risen to 528, with thousands injured.
The consequences of this intense violence have been felt most acutely in the streets of Khartoum, where fighting in densely populated areas has endangered civilians. As well as the immediate effects of airstrikes, artillery and small arms fire, potable water and food have become scarce, electricity has been cut, and hospitals have been forced to operate with limited staff and supplies.
‘Cities simply aren’t designed to withstand conflict,’ International Committee of the Red Cross water and habitat engineer Michael Talhami explains. ‘City infrastructure is interconnected and fragile. A single water treatment plant, hospital or …