A group organizing anti-government rallies across Sudan said Friday that three people died in protests in Khartoum a day earlier, raising the toll as crowds gathered for the funeral of one of the victims.

Late on Thursday a doctors committee linked to the association spearheading the protest said a child and doctor were killed during protests in the capital. Mohamed al-Asbat, a spokesman for the Sudanese Professionals Association organizing the rallies, told AFP from Paris that a third person had also died.

Sudanese officials have not confirmed the three deaths and earlier put the overall toll from the violence since December at 24, including two security forces personnel. Rights groups say the figure may be nearly twice as high.

Deadly protests have rocked Sudan since they first erupted on Dec. 19 after a government decision to raise the price of bread. The protests were triggered by price rises, but soon developed into demonstrations against Bashir. The president has said the unrest will not lead to a change in government, challenging his opponents to seek power through the ballot box. Critics blame years of economic mismanagement for Sudan's woes. The government announced an emergency 15-month austerity program in October, but it still offers deep subsidies on basic goods. The inflation rate increased to 72.94 percent in December from 68.93 percent in November.