More than 100 civilians, including at least 20 children and several medical workers, have been killed in a devastating attack on Zamzam Camp in North Darfur, Sudan. The assault, allegedly carried out by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), marks one of the deadliest incidents in the ongoing Sudanese civil war, which enters its second year this April. Zamzam Camp, along with nearby Abu Shouk Camp, hosts over 700,000 people who fled violence in other parts of the country and are now living in famine-like conditions. The RSF has been blamed for a series of brutal assaults since late last week, with satellite imagery revealing widespread destruction, arson, and burned structures in the central and southern portions of Zamzam.
Witnesses described the scene as catastrophic. Mustafa, a 34-year-old volunteer who worked at a community kitchen in Zamzam, said in a voice note to the BBC that his uncle and cousin were among the victims. He added that many who were helping reopen the camp hospital had also been killed. With all exit routes blocked and the camp surrounded from all directions, residents say they are trapped as shelling continues day and night. Wasir, another resident, stated that nothing is left in Zamzam. As families attempt to flee, many are hiding in trenches with their children while explosions continue overhead.
Relief International, a humanitarian organization and one of the last providers of critical health services in the camp, confirmed that nine of its staff members were executed, including doctors, drivers, and a team leader. According to surviving staff, RSF fighters entered a safety bunker where aid workers were sheltering and shot them in the head and chest. The organization described the attack as targeted, claiming the RSF deliberately destroyed healthcare infrastructure to deny displaced people access to medical aid. The Yale Humanitarian Research Lab also reported the most significant ground-based attack on Zamzam since fighting began in the el-Fasher area earlier this year.
International condemnation has been swift. The UN’s humanitarian coordinator in Sudan expressed grave alarm, calling the attacks a deadly and unacceptable escalation. The US State Department said it was deeply alarmed, and the UK’s Foreign Secretary, David Lammy, called the RSF’s reported actions shocking. Despite the backlash, the RSF has denied responsibility, instead accusing the Sudanese army of using the camp as a military base and using civilians as human shields. The group claims it has now “liberated” Zamzam from the army.
The civil war in Sudan began on April 15, 2023, as a power struggle between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the RSF. Since then, more than 12 million people have been displaced, making this the largest humanitarian crisis in the world. El-Fasher, the last major city in Darfur under army control, has been under siege for months, and fears are growing that its fall could lead to further mass atrocities. As humanitarian access remains limited and aid workers become direct targets, the people of Darfur continue to suffer in silence, caught between two warring factions with no end to the violence in sight.
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