CAIRO (AP) — The United Nations’ food agency has announced a temporary suspension of aid distribution in the famine-stricken Zamzam displacement camp in Sudan, which is home to around half a million people. This decision comes as clashes escalate between the opposing factions in the country’s conflict, raising concerns that thousands could face starvation.
In a statement released on Wednesday, the World Food Program revealed that the recent surge in fighting between the military forces and a paramilitary group in the midst of Sudan’s civil war has compelled its humanitarian partners to evacuate the Zamzam camp situated in western Darfur for their safety.
Laurent Bukera, the regional director of the agency, emphasized the urgency of the situation by stating, “Without immediate assistance, thousands of vulnerable families in Zamzam are at risk of starving in the forthcoming weeks.” Bukera appealed to the conflicting parties to cease hostilities and facilitate the unimpeded delivery of vital humanitarian aid. She stressed the importance of swiftly resuming the distribution of life-saving assistance in and around Zamzam, emphasizing the need for a large-scale effort.
Up until now, the World Food Program has been providing essential food supplies to approximately 300,000 residents of the camp. However, due to the recent escalation of violence, aid workers were only able to reach 60,000 individuals this month. The agency reported that one of the attacks resulted in the destruction of the camp’s central open market, further exacerbating the already dire situation by pushing residents further away from crucial food and supplies.
Recent reports from Doctors Without Borders, the medical charity operating in the camp, revealed that they have had to suspend their operations, including the functioning of their field hospital, due to the increased frequency of attacks.
The declaration of famine in the Zamzam camp back in August has now spread to two additional displaced persons’ camps in Darfur and the Western Nuba Mountains. Located 12 kilometers (approximately 6.5 miles) south of El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, the Zamzam camp has been a focal point of contention, with the Rapid Support Forces paramilitary group, or RSF, persistently attempting to gain control.
The RSF, engaged in a conflict with the Sudanese military since April 2023, has been implicated in numerous atrocities, including ethnically motivated killings and sexual violence, as documented by the U.N. and human rights organizations. The International Criminal Court has initiated investigations into alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in this context.
Despite persistent pleas from aid organizations for access to provide assistance in Zamzam and other regions, there has been minimal progress. Clementine Nkweta-Salami, the U.N.’s top humanitarian official in Sudan, has accused the RSF of obstructing the delivery of life-saving aid to many in Darfur. Currently, the RSF, along with its allied militias, exerts control
