At least 23 people died on Tuesday in Al-Hilaliya, Sudan, a town under siege by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), raising the death toll to 382 in the past two weeks, according to Al-Jazirah Conference, a local civil society group. Located northeast of Wad Madani, Al-Hilaliya has faced deteriorating conditions since the RSF took control following a local leader’s defection to the Sudanese Armed Forces on October 21.
The Al-Jazirah Conference reported that Tuesday’s fatalities stemmed from poisoning and a severe lack of medical services, including the deaths of nine women and six children. Local sources from the “Nidaa Al-Wasat” group have alleged that the RSF contaminated the town’s drinking water and provided food laced with harmful substances, including urea fertilizer, lead, and mercury.
A video circulated online shows visibly discolored drinking water, accompanied by claims of contamination. The Nidaa Al-Wasat group expressed concerns over the “alarming acceleration” of fatalities, with local residents struggling to bury the dead amid worsening hunger and exhaustion. Estimates suggest the death toll has surpassed 400, affecting especially vulnerable groups like children and the elderly. The RSF has yet to respond to these allegations.
