Amidst escalating clashes between the army and paramilitary forces, hundreds of families have fled a northern suburb of Sudan's capital, Khartoum. The violence centered around the Hattab military base in Khartoum North, also known as Bahri, which had been under army control since the onset of Sudan's civil war in April 2023.

According to reports, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary launched an attack on the Hattab base on September 4th. Artillery fire from the army targeted the southern area of the base, while military aircraft flew overhead. Residents in the area recounted harrowing experiences of RSF forces attacking residential areas to the south, resulting in casualties and abductions of civilians.

Witnesses on the ground reported seeing hundreds of families fleeing the violence on foot, carrying their belongings as they sought safety towards the north. The ongoing conflict between the army and the RSF has inflicted a heavy toll, with tens of thousands of lives lost and over 10 million people forcibly displaced, as per UN reports.

The severity of the humanitarian crisis prompted UN experts to call for the immediate deployment of an independent force to safeguard civilians. In their first report, the UN's Independent International Fact-Finding Mission for Sudan condemned the appalling range of human rights violations and international crimes committed by both warring parties. The report detailed indiscriminate air strikes, the targeting of critical infrastructure such as schools, hospitals, and communication networks, as well as the use of sexual violence, arbitrary detention, and torture against civilians.

The situation in Khartoum North and other conflict-affected regions continues to deteriorate, warranting urgent international attention and action. Efforts must be focused on facilitating a peaceful resolution to the conflict, ensuring the protection of civilians, and providing much-needed humanitarian assistance to those affected by the violence.