Dilling doctors perform surgery without anaesthesia as siege tightens
January 3, 2026 (DILLING) – Medical sources on Saturday revealed an acute shortage of medicines and medical supplies, including anaesthesia, as casualties rise from shelling in Dilling, South Kordofan State.
The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) led by Abdel Aziz al-Hilu have increased artillery and drone shelling on Sudan’s second-largest city in South Kordofan, coinciding with attacks on Kadugli.
Medical sources told Sudan Tribune that basic supplies such as gauze and cotton have run out, forcing doctors to perform surgeries without anaesthesia. They noted the shortage comes as more wounded arrive at facilities where families are unable to afford medicine due to skyrocketing prices.
The RSF and the allied SPLM-N are blocking supplies and medicine from reaching Dilling and Kadugli, besieging both cities in an attempt to seize control.
Sources described the health situation as catastrophic, with hospital corridors overcrowded with the injured and the facility suffering from severe environmental deterioration. They called on international and local organizations to intervene urgently to prevent a humanitarian disaster.
The Sudan Doctors Network said intensive shelling by the RSF and the SPLM-N causes daily civilian deaths and injuries. The group noted that accurate casualty counts are impossible due to a telecommunications blackout.
The network warned that the siege portends an imminent health crisis given the acute shortage of food and healthcare supplies. It described the ongoing military pressure as a “slow killing” of civilians.
The medical group held the leadership of the RSF and the SPLM-N responsible for deaths caused by hunger, malnutrition, and systematic shelling. It renewed appeals for international agencies to break the siege and ensure the arrival of medical aid.
On Friday, the SPLM-N demanded that civilians evacuate cities in South Kordofan and called on the Sudanese army to surrender Kadugli and Dilling without a fight.