Sudanese doctors: The health conditions of more than 6,500 detainees held by Rapid Support deteriorated

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The Sudan Doctors Network has warned of the deteriorating health and humanitarian conditions of more than 6,500 detainees held by the Rapid Support Forces in the city of El Geneina in West Darfur state, west of the country, amid food shortages and rising daily deaths.

The network said, in a statement, that it had obtained information that it described as reliable, indicating that there are more than 6,500 military and civilian detainees in a number of detention centers in the city of El Geneina, including 709 women and about 500 children under the age of eighteen.

She explained that the detention sites include the former headquarters of the United Nations and African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID), the headquarters of the Fifteenth Infantry Division, and Ardamta prison.

The network expressed its deep concern about the information received regarding food shortages and deteriorating health conditions inside detention centers, warning of serious health and humanitarian risks threatening thousands of detainees, including hundreds of women and children.

It also pointed to the increase in daily deaths inside detention centers, calling for urgent action to verify its causes and ensure that detainees receive adequate food and the necessary medical care.

It called for revealing the fate and whereabouts of detainees, ensuring their safety and protecting them from torture and ill-treatment, while providing special protection for women and children and preserving their basic rights.

Sudanese authorities and human rights organizations estimate that the Rapid Support Forces are holding about 19,800 people in their prisons, including military personnel, civilians, women, and children under the age of eighteen.