Sudan conflict: 'We're expecting to get shot at any time,' doctor says

Dr Abbas also warned that "people are dying from lack of staff" and blood supplies, while others were dying because of a "long wait" to get to the operating rooms, adding that the heath service was "beyond collapse".

Both Dr Abbas and the unnamed Khartoum doctor told the BBC that some hospitals had been used by the factions as a refuge for their fighters.

Dr Abbas said five major Khartoum hospitals had been almost totally destroyed by "crossfire fighting".

On Wednesday the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) called for unimpeded access in Sudan and warned that the fighting was taking a "disastrous toll".

The body's regional director for Africa, Patrick Youssef, said the enormity of the situation was still unfolding. He called for "quick access and safety for ambulances, medical personnel, and humanitarian actors to be able to evaluate what is happening".

An ICRC statement added that law and order had broken down in parts of the western region of Darfur, and that its offices in Nyala had been looted and a vehicle stolen.

About 270 civilians have been killed since fighting broke out on Saturday, according to a statement from Western diplomats based in Khartoum.

Large numbers of Khartoum residents have been fleeing, whilst others are trapped in their homes seeking shelter as a fresh wave of explosions erupted in the capital this morning.

Later in the day, the Sudanese army and the RSF agreed a fresh 24-hour truce, however some gunfire could still be heard after 18:00 local time (16:00 GMT), when it was supposed to take effect.