By Bunmi Yekini
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has been forced to suspend all medical activities in Zamzam camp near El Fasher, North Darfur, as intensified fighting makes it too dangerous to continue operations. The decision comes despite widespread starvation and a growing humanitarian crisis in the camp, which houses around 500,000 displaced people.
“Our teams received 139 wounded patients in the first three weeks of February alone, mostly with gunshot and shrapnel injuries,” said Yahya Kalilah, MSF’s head of mission in Sudan. “Tragically, 11 patients died in our facility, including five children, because we could neither treat them properly nor refer them to the only surgical hospital in El Fasher.”
MSF revealed that attempts to transport patients have been met with deadly violence. “In January and December, two of our ambulances carrying patients to El Fasher were shot at,” Kalilah added. “Now, the situation is even more dangerous. Many critically injured people, including those needing trauma surgery or emergency C-sections, are trapped in Zamzam.”
The ongoing conflict between the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Joint Forces, aligned with Sudan’s military, has worsened conditions. The RSF, which has besieged El Fasher for the past 10 months, recently launched attacks on Zamzam camp, further limiting access to food and water.
Read Also: Sudan Cholera Crisis: Over 800 Patients Admitted, Dozens Dead in White Nile State
Read Also: MSF Mourns Death of Jerry Muhindo Kavali Amid Rising Violence in DRC
“Halting our project in the midst of a worsening disaster in Zamzam is heartbreaking,” Kalilah stated. “For more than two years, our teams have worked despite the siege, supply shortages, and security risks, hoping for a scaled-up humanitarian response that never materialized. But as the battle for El Fasher rages on and reaches Zamzam camp, we are left with no choice.”
MSF reported that new waves of displaced people have arrived from Abu Zerega, Shagra, and Saluma, describing harrowing experiences of villages set on fire, looting, sexual violence, and killings. Some families walked barefoot to Tawila after fleeing the violence.
MSF is calling on all armed groups to protect civilians and allow safe passage for those trying to flee. “Warring parties must grant unhindered access for aid delivery,” the organization urged, emphasizing the need for urgent humanitarian intervention in Darfur.