A Voice From the Siege: Dr. Omar Selik’s Last Testimony
In a heartbreaking turn of events, Dr. Omar Selik—the last remaining physicians in Sudan’s besieged city of El Fasher—was killed just days after giving a raw, emotional interview to The New York Times. His testimony offered a rare window into the humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in Darfur, where 250,000 civilians are trapped under relentless bombardment by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) .
The Final Interview: A Glimpse of Hope Amid Horror
Speaking via a fragile satellite connection after 500 days of siege, Dr. Selik described scenes of unimaginable suffering: pregnant women bleeding to death for lack of basic supplies, families surviving on animal fodder, and children dying from preventable diseases. Yet in a moment of unexpected warmth, he turned on his camera, smiled, and said, “This is a good day for me. I feel like a human being again.” Days later, he was gone—his death underscoring the extreme peril facing medical workers in conflict zones .
El Fasher Under Siege: Key Facts
| Indicator | Status (as of Oct 2025) |
|---|---|
| Population Trapped | ~250,000 civilians |
| Active Medical Personnel | 1–2 (including Dr. Selik before his death) |
| Main Threat | Rapid Support Forces (RSF) bombardment and blockade |
| Food Availability | Severely limited; residents consuming animal feed |
| Humanitarian Access | Effectively zero; aid convoys blocked for months |
Why Dr. Selik’s Death Matters
- Symbol of Resilience: He chose to stay when others fled, becoming a lifeline for thousands.
- Witness to War Crimes: His testimony documented potential violations of international humanitarian law.
- Global Wake-Up Call: His death highlights the urgent need for protected humanitarian corridors in Darfur.
International medical organizations, including Médecins Sans Frontières, have condemned the targeting of health workers in Sudan, calling it a “systematic erasure of care” in a region already scarred by genocide.
[INTERNAL_LINK:sudan-crisis]
