On February 11, 2023, the RSF attacked Zamzam camp in North Darfur, causing significant destruction and loss of life. Nearly half a million residents, primarily from the Zaghawa community, face severe humanitarian crises, with supplies on the brink of depletion. Medical organizations warn that if conditions do not improve, food and medical resources will soon run out. Urgent international action is needed to address the ongoing threats and ensure humanitarian access.
The recent attack on Zamzam camp in North Darfur by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has left the region in severe distress, with supplies nearly depleted. This displacement camp houses around half a million individuals, primarily from the Zaghawa community, many of whom fled the genocide in Darfur two decades prior. The RSF’s assault, involving heavy weaponry and artillery, commenced on February 11, with reports of firing at civilians, home invasions, and market shelling.
Following fierce battles with Joint Forces, loyal to Sudan’s military, the RSF initially withdrew, although another attack occurred the next day but was repelled. Since the onset of conflict in April 2023, Sudan’s army and the RSF have battled, resulting in over ten million people displaced and more than twelve million facing acute hunger. The Zamzam camp attack resulted in at least 31 fatalities and 81 injuries, according to health officials.
Medical organizations, including Doctors Without Borders (MSF), have reported dire conditions, with several victims arriving deceased at their field hospital. Local leaders describe the RSF’s actions as a systematic assault, with significant destruction witnessed in the camp, including burnt belongings and devastated pastures.
The RSF’s ongoing siege around al-Fasher exacerbates the camp’s plight, allegedly violating international humanitarian law, which mandates the protection of civilians. Analysts have stated that targeting civilians is explicitly prohibited, and such actions could be classified as war crimes. Satellite imagery has provided evidence of RSF-led arson and market destruction, indicating severe impacts on living conditions for inhabitants.
Sources indicate civilian efforts to escape the camp are thwarted, with RSF combatants reportedly conducting door-to-door searches for individuals to kill or loot. A report has identified ongoing genocide against non-Arab groups in Darfur, calling attention to the complicity of several nations in these atrocities, including the UAE and Russia’s Wagner Group. Advocacy groups assert that the RSF’s actions represent a pattern of ethnic targeting within Darfur and urge international powers to intervene and halt these attacks.
The article highlights the struggle of humanitarian efforts in the camp, with organizations predicting that supplies will be entirely exhausted within weeks if no changes happen. The humanitarian crisis demands urgent commitments from influential entities, like the UAE, to facilitate a ceasefire and allow critical aid access.
The attack on Zamzam camp exemplifies the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Darfur, pointing to systematic violence and ethnic targeting by the RSF. With basic supplies running out and increasing casualties reported, the international community must respond urgently to protect civilians and support humanitarian access. The situation calls for an immediate reassessment of relationships with nations complicit in providing military support to the RSF.
Original Source: www.middleeasteye.net
