In brief
A significant escalation in violence occurred at the Zamzam camp, where the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) are accused of launching a brutal attack, leaving many displaced individuals in dire situations. Medical facilities are overwhelmed, and access to care is severely restricted by ongoing hostilities.
A paramilitary group in Sudan has reportedly launched a serious attack on the Zamzam camp, which is currently home to approximately 500,000 people enduring extreme famine. The Zamzam camp, located in North Darfur, has been under repeated artillery bombardment since late last year. However, this incident marks the first time the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have been directly linked to an assault on the camp, according to local refugee organizations.Witnesses described the scene as "extremely catastrophic," with numerous casualties resulting from the assault. The RSF, an influential paramilitary force in Sudan, is currently engaged in a violent struggle against the Sudanese military, with both factions previously having united in a coup to gain power. Tensions escalated following disagreements over a proposed transition to civilian governance.On Tuesday, the Sudanese IDPs and Refugees Bloc reported that RSF fighters had invaded the camp. In response, an RSF representative dismissed these claims, asserting that their forces were engaging with a military base nearby rather than attacking the camp directly. Despite these denials, social media recordings showing armed men with RSF insignia within the camp surfaced, exacerbating concerns over the accuracy of the RSF's claims.Tragically, the camp's population, already vulnerable and suffering from acute food shortages, is now facing renewed violence. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) reported receiving seven deceased individuals and 21 wounded at their facility in Zamzam, with many of the injured in need of critical medical attention that the facility is ill-equipped to provide. Eyewitnesses noted that surgery services at the hospital have ceased to function due to the ongoing conflict.North Darfur's Health Minister, Ibrahim Abdullah Khater, lamented that roadblocks imposed by the RSF are preventing injured individuals from reaching safer medical facilities in el-Fasher, leaving the displaced community in a struggle for survival. The humanitarian situation in Zamzam has deteriorated significantly over the past year, with increased artillery strikes leading to severe losses among civilians.As of recently, international humanitarian groups have issued warnings that the Zamzam camp has become a site of escalating violence, disrupting any semblance of safety for internally displaced individuals in the region. As the siege of el-Fasher persists, these events highlight the ongoing crisis in Darfur, marked by severe allegations of ethnic cleansing against non-Arab groups and the continuous plummeting conditions for those caught in the crossfire.
