Doctors Without Borders has halted operations in Sudan’s Zamzam camp due to escalated fighting. The conflict prevents the organization from providing essential aid to approximately 500,000 displaced people. Conditions have resulted in severe shortages of medical care and basic supplies, further exacerbating the humanitarian crisis in the region.
Heavy fighting in Sudan has compelled Doctors Without Borders (MSF) to suspend operations at the Zamzam camp, which houses around 500,000 displaced individuals. Increased violence between the Sudanese military and the Rapid Support Forces has made it impossible for MSF to deliver essential humanitarian aid, including at their field hospital. This decision was extremely difficult for the organization, given the needs of the population in crisis.
Yahya Kalilah, MSF’s head of mission in Sudan, expressed deep concern over the situation, emphasizing the challenges posed by proximity to hostilities. With ongoing attacks hampering supply deliveries and staff deployment, Kalilah highlighted the dire conditions that led MSF to stop their activities. The escalation of violence, particularly since February, has seen an influx of wounded patients requiring urgent care.
The Zamzam camp originally focused on nutrition support but lacks the capacity for trauma surgery, leaving many patients untreated. Tragically, 11 patients, including five children, succumbed to injuries due to the inability to provide adequate medical care or arrange transfers to a suitable facility in El Fasher. The ongoing hostilities have disrupted access to basic necessities like food and clean water, aggravating the humanitarian crisis further.
Displaced families continue to arrive at Zamzam, fleeing violence from regions such as Abu Zerega and Saluma. Reports from newly arrived individuals detail severe abuses, including killings and sexual violence throughout their journeys. Kalilah noted the extreme dangers faced by MSF ambulances, which have been targeted while transporting patients. The current situation renders the evacuation of critically injured individuals nearly impossible.
In response to escalating violence in Sudan, Doctors Without Borders has suspended aid operations at the Zamzam camp. The intense fighting between the military and paramilitary forces has left thousands without access to lifesaving healthcare. The humanitarian crisis in the region continues to worsen, underscoring the urgent need for a peaceful resolution to the conflict and for humanitarian access.
Original Source: koreajoongangdaily.joins.com
