RSF Increases Attacks on Zamzam Refugee Camp in Sudan Amid Decreasing UN Aid
The Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a Sudanese paramilitary group, have intensified their assaults on the Zamzam refugee camp, which is home to over half a million displaced individuals.
Doctors Without Borders reports that violence has resulted in seven deaths, and medical teams are unable to conduct surgeries or carry out programs within the Zamzam camp.
Since April 2023, Sudan has been embroiled in conflict between army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his former deputy, Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, the RSF leader.
As the civil war in Sudan nears its second anniversary, the nation faces extreme malnutrition, mass displacement, pervasive sexual violence, and ongoing insecurity.
The IPC Famine Review Committee (FRC) has identified famine in at least five regions, predicting that an additional five regions will experience famine between December 2024 and May 2025.
During a high-level humanitarian conference in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Friday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres characterized the situation in Sudan as a disaster of “staggering scale and brutality.”
On Monday, the United Nations unveiled a response plan to provide $6 billion for 26 million individuals in Sudan and the surrounding region.
“Sudan is a humanitarian emergency of shocking proportions,” stated UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher.
The proposed relief aid falls significantly short of what is necessary.
“This amounts to approximately $200 per person for the entire year, which breaks down to about $0.50 per day,” explained Edmore Tondhlana, Deputy Head of Office for the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Sudan.
Continued fighting has precipitated a severe economic downturn, leading to soaring prices for food and fuel, making essential goods even harder for families to acquire.
Moreover, Sudan’s healthcare system is collapsing, with medical facilities under attack and healthcare workers fleeing the conflict.
The Sudanese population has been compelled to evacuate their homes, seeking refuge either in different areas of Sudan or in neighboring countries, which exacerbates regional vulnerabilities.
According to the UN, “the total displaced population exceeds the entire population of Switzerland.”
Currently, there are 12.4 million people forcibly displaced due to the conflict that erupted in Sudan in April 2023, of which 8.8 million are internally displaced and 3.3 million have crossed into neighboring nations.
Additionally, women and girls are particularly affected by the conflict, facing reports of rape, forced marriages, and abductions.
The scarcity of sufficient funds hampers the UN’s capacity to maintain humanitarian assistance for the Sudanese population.
The international community must enhance financial support to ensure aid reaches the Sudanese people and the surrounding region promptly, before more lives are jeopardized.
Beyond financial assistance, diplomatic initiatives are crucial to achieving a peaceful resolution to the conflict—one that includes all stakeholders.
