Doctors Without Borders Suspends Operations in Sudan’s Zamzam Camp Amid Escalating Violence
Doctors Without Borders (MSF) announced it is halting its operations in Sudan’s famine-stricken Zamzam camp for displaced people in North Darfur due to a surge in violent attacks, making it too dangerous to continue providing medical aid.
In a statement released on Monday, MSF cited increased fighting in and around the camp, located near the town of el-Fasher, as the reason for suspending its activities. “Despite widespread starvation and immense humanitarian needs, we have no choice but to suspend all our activities in the camp, including the MSF field hospital,” the organization said.
Zamzam camp is home to approximately half a million people displaced by Sudan’s 22-month-long civil war. MSF was one of the few humanitarian groups still active in the camp. In recent weeks, its field hospital treated individuals wounded in attacks by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), as well as thousands of severely malnourished children.
“Halting our project in the midst of a worsening disaster in Zamzam is a heartbreaking decision,” said Yahya Kalilah, MSF’s Sudan country director. He explained that the proximity of the violence, challenges in delivering supplies, the inability to send experienced staff, and uncertainty about safe evacuation routes left the organization with no other option.
The conflict in Sudan erupted in April 2023 between the RSF and the Sudanese military. Both sides have been accused of war crimes, with the United Nations reporting tens of thousands of deaths, 14 million people displaced, and a deepening humanitarian crisis.
On February 11, the RSF launched an attack on Zamzam, triggering two days of clashes with the army and allied armed groups. The violence forced around 10,000 families to flee, according to the UN’s International Organization for Migration (IOM).
MSF reported treating 139 patients with gunshot and shrapnel wounds this month, but 11 people, including five children, died due to a lack of necessary medical equipment. The organization also revealed that its ambulances had been targeted in recent months.
Meanwhile, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed concern over a potential “further escalation” of the conflict after the RSF and its allies announced plans to form a parallel government. Guterres’s spokesman, Stephane Dujarric, stated that the move “deepens the fragmentation of the country.”
The RSF-led government is unlikely to gain widespread recognition, given the group’s alleged involvement in war crimes, including genocide. However, this development signals the RSF’s focus on consolidating control in Darfur while losing ground in other regions, further entrenching Sudan’s fragmentation.
MSF continues to call on all armed actors in the area to protect civilians and ensure unimpeded access to humanitarian aid.
For further updates, follow MSF on Twitter: MSF International.
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