Dilling, November 10 (Darfur24)
Residents of Dilling in South Kordofan State are facing severe humanitarian conditions as the city remains under siege and exposed to continuous artillery shelling for more than a year.
The situation has pushed many citizens to call on authorities and humanitarian organizations to open safe corridors that would allow them to leave the city without risk.
Several residents told Darfur24 that life in Dilling has almost come to a standstill as a result of the deteriorating security and living conditions, repeated bombardment of residential neighborhoods, and restrictions on movement imposed by the warring parties.
One resident said that families are caught between the fear of shelling and the fear of what awaits them outside the city.
“If a safe route is made available, my children and I would leave immediately,” he said. “But we cannot guarantee that we will not face violations or arrests by the forces stationed along the roads, whether the Popular Movement or the Rapid Support Forces.”
Last August, routes used by civilians attempting to flee from Dilling and Hajar al-Jawad toward the Six Mountains area, passing through Hebeila, witnessed widespread abuses, including violence and detentions.
Another resident noted that the humanitarian situation has worsened in recent months, with acute shortages of food and interrupted medical supplies. He warned that patients and the elderly are facing a slow death due to the lack of medicines and the difficulty of reaching health facilities.
In recent weeks, Dilling has experienced increased shelling carried out by the SPLM-North and allied Rapid Support Forces, forcing dozens of families to flee from eastern and southern neighborhoods to relatively safer areas inside the city, while others continue searching for possible escape routes.
Residents are urging humanitarian organizations and the United Nations to intervene urgently to establish safe humanitarian corridors for the evacuation of civilians and to allow the delivery of food and medical aid into the city.
Dilling has been under siege by the Rapid Support Forces and SPLM-North since last January, except for the road connecting the city to Kadugli. The blockade has caused a severe shortage of essential goods, particularly food and medical supplies.
The Rapid Support Forces currently control Al-Dubaibat, Al-Farshaya, and the surrounding villages north of Dilling, in addition to Al-Takma, Hilla Khamis, and Hebeila to the east. Meanwhile, SPLM-North controls areas to the west, north, and southwest of the city.