Jeddah: The devastating effects of the more than 100-day-long war on the Sudanese people are highlighted by a tally of death figures compiled by local activists and volunteer organisations, which suggests that the civilian death toll in Khartoum State may be more than double the official count.

Early in May, a loud explosion shook Shambat, a section of Khartoum, the capital of Sudan. Locals rushed to put out the fires consuming a temporary home that they claim were started by an airstrike.

Too late, they were. Five witnesses reported finding a pregnant woman, a man, and five kids among the smouldering wreckage. The man was buried nearby, while the woman and children were buried at the scene of the May 7 attack.

The seven victims of the Shambat attack are not counted in the official death toll in Khartoum State, which has seen the majority of the fighting between the Sudanese Army and the main paramilitary organisation in the nation, the Rapid Support Forces. This makes them similar to many other victims in the war that has ravaged Sudan since mid-April.

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The government and health services that normally record fatalities have been severely damaged by the conflict, making them largely inoperable.
According to a Health Ministry report distributed to aid organisations on July 5, there had been 234 fatalities in Khartoum State. The report makes it clear that only civilian hospitals were used to collect the data. However, activist and volunteer groups have tallied at least 580 civilian fatalities due to airstrikes, artillery, and gunfire across Khartoum State, which includes the nation's capital as well as its sister cities Omdurman and Bahri, as of July 26.

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The discrepancy in the data for Khartoum State raises the possibility that the Health Ministry's estimate of 1,136 deaths nationwide as of July 5 may also be an underestimate.

The official figure, according to a ministry official, is "the tip of the iceberg."

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According to him, this is because many civilians have passed away at home or in their neighbourhoods rather than in hospitals, where their deaths would have been recorded. In his first appearance on camera since hostilities started, Sudanese paramilitary leader Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, also known as Hemedti, called for the army's leadership to be replaced.

Hemedti is seen in the video apologising to the Sudanese people for the effects of the ongoing conflict while being cheered on by RSF members, which was posted to the paramilitary group's Facebook page.
We advise our military brothers that if they want a quick fix, they should change their leadership and we'll reach an agreement in 72 hours.