Shelling kills at least 5 in besieged El Fasher as food prices soar

July 6, 2025 (EL FASHER) – At least five people were killed and several others injured when artillery shells hit a market in the besieged city of El Fasher in North Darfur on Sunday, residents said, as the price of essential goods continued to soar.

Residents said the shells were fired by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and struck the Nyvasha market in the Abu Shouk camp for displaced people. The city, the army’s last stronghold in the Darfur region, has faced intensified RSF shelling for over a week despite international calls for a humanitarian truce.

The Sudanese army and the RSF, which have been at war for more than a year, exchanged heavy artillery fire throughout Sunday, according to witnesses. The army fired from its positions in the west of the city, while the RSF, which controls El Fasher’s eastern and southern parts, shelled areas near the army’s divisional command headquarters.

The violence has worsened a dire humanitarian situation. A merchant at the Nyvasha market told a local media outlet that food prices had risen sharply. He said a sack of millet, a local staple, had increased to 1.6 million Sudanese pounds (approximately $750) from 1 million pounds the previous week.

Items like salt, rice, and flour are now extremely difficult to find due to the blockade, the merchant added.

The RSF has besieged El Fasher since April 2024, trapping hundreds of thousands of residents and displaced people. The fighting has caused large numbers of civilian casualties and widespread destruction to infrastructure.