Sudan’s escalating civil war is pushing the country to the brink, with fresh reports of mass graves, acute water shortages, nationwide power outages, and drone strikes forcing more civilian displacement.
Thousands of Bodies Buried in Khartoum as Army Regains Ground
Authorities in Sudan have confirmed the burial of over 3,800 bodies recovered from the streets and homes of Khartoum following the Sudanese Armed Forces’ (SAF) recent military gains in the capital. The Forensic Medicine Authority led the operation after receiving widespread reports of corpses left to decay in neighborhoods, government institutions, and public squares.
Many of the dead are believed to be victims of war crimes, with the discovery of mass graves in Omdurman and other districts raising serious human rights concerns. The army blames the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which previously controlled large parts of the capital, for mass executions and forced disappearances.
Due to the near-total collapse of public services during RSF control, many residents were forced to bury their dead in yards and open spaces, fearing attacks on the way to cemeteries. A special committee involving forensic teams and security agencies has been formed to document these sites and assess the scale of the atrocities.
Water Crisis Hits Rural El-Fasher
In North Darfur’s rural areas, a worsening water crisis is threatening the survival of hundreds of families and their livestock. In the villages of Dar Semeit east of El-Fasher, residents say they walk for hours daily to access water, as wells have dried up and manual pumps remain inoperable.
At least 16 villages are facing severe water shortages, according to local sources. A resident in Qalqi told Darfur24 that a recent mysterious illness killed off most donkeys and horses, further complicating efforts to transport water.
Local officials confirmed the scale of the crisis. “We had plans to repair pumps and rehabilitate dams ahead of summer, but the war halted everything,” said Abdelshafi Abdullah, director of North Darfur’s Water and Sanitation Project. He warned that the area’s rocky terrain makes access to groundwater even more difficult.
National Blackout as Electricity Grid Fails
Adding to the crisis, a major blackout struck several states after Sudan’s national electricity grid suffered what officials described as a “general shutdown.” The outage has impacted vast areas including Khartoum, Darfur, and Kordofan, where war-related damage to infrastructure has already strained essential services.
The collapse of power has worsened living conditions across displacement camps and urban areas, with hospitals and water stations now running on limited backup supplies.
Families Flee After Drone Attacks in Nyala
In South Darfur, residents in Nyala reported new drone strikes targeting RSF positions inside the city, prompting the displacement of several families. At least 15 households fled the Mousiya neighborhood after aerial strikes hit buildings previously turned into RSF military outposts.
Witnesses say the bombed locations included former student housing complexes, which had been converted into command centers. The strikes follow a series of military escalations in Darfur and suggest a potential new phase in the SAF’s efforts to retake contested territory.
