Following the devastating bombardment of the Zamzam camp for internally displaced people in western Sudan, civilians are fleeing the area – into increasingly dangerous conditions.
The United Nations has strongly condemned this week's airtsrikes on the Zamzam camp for displaced people in western Sudan's Darfur region, calling for the protection of innocent civilians who have fled the camp to seek refuge south of the regional capital El-Fasher.
The town has been besieged by paramilitaries engaged in conflict with the country's regular army since April of last year – more than 230 days.
The rocket and artillery strikes by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on the Zamzam camp began on Sunday, 1 December and continued until Thursday, resulting in the deaths of at least 11 civilians – in a camp already affected by severe famine.
According to Clementine Nkweta-Salami, the UN coordinator for Sudan, the escalating violence is causing "unacceptable human suffering".
She reiterated the need to protect civilians and emphasised that the UN and its humanitarian partners vehemently condemn the violence, describing the camp as being close to breaking point. It is home to more than 500,000 displaced individuals.
Situation 'chaotic'
Prince Djuma, medical manager of NGO Médecins Sans Frontière's emergency unit responsible for Sudan, has also called on warring parties to refrain from attacking health facilities and civilians.
Zamzam – the largest camp for displaced persons in Sudan – has been grappling with numerous challenges, with the population already afflicted by malnutrition, famine and disease, making the situation desperate.
"In addition to the humanitarian disaster, since Sunday there has been shelling in the Zamzam camp, particularly in the south-eastern part and in the markets," he told RFI. "At the hospital, we have begun receiving injured people, including children. So the situation, as I said, is chaotic, and our teams in Zamzam don't feel safe."
He continued: "The population is fleeing here and there. So there are also patients who have fled because they were afraid of the bombs, despite their illness. So all the sick people who were under outpatient care and the children with malnutrition, we can't keep track of them today because of the bombings."
Eleven million displaced
Since April 2023, Sudan has been engulfed in a brutal conflict between the regular army, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the RSF militia, commanded by his former ally and deputy Mohamed Hamdane Daglo.
This war has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths and displaced more than 11 million people, creating what the UN has called the worst humanitarian crisis in recent history.
Both sides of the conflict have been accused of war crimes, including targeting civilians, shelling residential areas and blocking or looting aid.
In recent weeks, the RSF has tightened its grip on El-Fasher, launching attacks on multiple fronts against Sudan's military and allied armed groups.
Sudan at 'cataclysmic breaking point' amid multiple crises, UN warns
