The siege, blamed on the Rapid Support Forces, has sparked a new humanitarian catastrophe and marks an alarming turning point in the Darfur region, already overrun by violence.
The Sudanese city of Omdurman lives in the shadow of war, facing daily shelling and battered medical services. But some people are trying to eke out a return to life, however precarious.
Since fighting broke out between the Sudanese Armed Forces and rebel paramilitaries a year ago, experts estimate over 14,000 people have been killed and millions displaced and facing starvation.
James Elder is a spokesperson for UNICEF — the U.N. agency that provides humanitarian aid to children — and has been visiting the areas on the border of Sudan and Chad.
There is no sign of a peaceful resolution to the conflict in Sudan. Millions of Sudanese civilians continue to be displaced as the country teeters on the brink of full-scale civil war.
As fighting in Sudan's capital continues to rage, experts say it's spilling over into the Darfur region and risks fully reigniting a conflict from the early 2000s that left hundreds of thousands dead.
Two generals are currently battling for control of Sudan's capital Khartoum. In the early 2000s, both played key roles in the government's brutal crackdown in Darfur, which was ruled a genocide.
With fighting continuing between rival generals, thousands are fleeing the country and embassies have shut. U.N. Secretary General António Guterres warns the violence may spread to other countries.
We spoke to Dr. Ghazali Babiker, country director for Médecins Sans Frontières in Sudan, who is in Khartoum. He offered a grim assessment of the impact of fighting on the ability to give health care.
