More than 100 people have been killed in a single week of renewed violence in Sudan’s western Darfur region, as fighting between government forces and paramilitary groups continues to devastate civilian life, according to reports cited by Vatican News.
Medical sources say that at least 114 people lost their lives after attacks on two towns in Darfur. In the town of Kernoi, an offensive by the Rapid Support Forces resulted in dozens of civilian deaths, while drone strikes carried out by the Sudanese Armed Forces struck markets and residential areas in the RSF-controlled town of Al-Zuruq, killing many more, according to the same sources.
Sudan has been locked in a brutal conflict since April 2023, with the army and the RSF battling for control of the country. Darfur has emerged as the region most gravely affected, after the RSF reportedly seized the military’s last major stronghold there in October. Both sides have been accused of attacking civilian infrastructure, and the United Nations has described the conflict as a “war of atrocities,” according to Vatican News.
An Urgent Message from Sister Sara – Please Watch
The scale of suffering is compounded by the near-total lack of access for journalists and international observers. With much of Darfur unreachable by the media, local volunteers and healthcare workers have relied on satellite internet to share information with the outside world, according to the Vatican News report.
Children are among the most vulnerable victims. A recent survey cited by UNICEF found record-high levels of child malnutrition in North Darfur. The agency warned that without secure humanitarian corridors, children face the risk of dying from preventable causes, according to the report.
Displacement continues to surge as violence spreads. Since mid-December, nearly 11,000 people have fled North and South Kordofan states, according to figures from the International Organization for Migration, as cited by Vatican News. Most of those displaced are women and children, many traumatized by violence, with some minors separated from their families or living with disabilities.
Overall, the war has forced more than 11 million people to flee their homes, either within Sudan or across its borders into neighboring countries. Many now shelter in impoverished regions with little access to food, medicine, or clean water.
For Catholics around the world, the crisis in Darfur is a stark reminder of the Church’s call to defend human dignity and to pray for peace. As the Holy See has repeatedly urged, an end to violence and the opening of humanitarian access remain urgent moral imperatives for Sudan and the international community alike.
Your support brings the truth to the world.
Catholic Online News exists because of donors like you. We are 100% funded by people who believe the world deserves real, uncensored news rooted in faith and truth — not corporate agendas. Your gift ensures millions can continue to access the news they can trust — stories that defend life, faith, family, and freedom.
When truth is silenced, your support speaks louder.
