Escalating Violence in Sudan: Humanitarian Crisis Deepens in North Darfur
Recent attacks by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in El Fasher and surrounding areas in North Darfur have resulted in at least 320 casualties, Anadolu Agency reported citing the El Fasher Resistance Coordination. The RSF’s shelling has caused catastrophic humanitarian conditions, particularly in Zamzam camp, where medical services have completely collapsed.
“All hospitals have shut down, and all medical staff and volunteers in the camp have been killed,” the committee reported, warning that five injured individuals are dying every hour due to a lack of medical care. The RSF launched its offensive on El Fasher on May 10, disregarding international warnings.
The Sudanese Doctors’ Network revealed that RSF fighters executed 10 medical personnel within 48 hours. The General Coordination for Displaced Persons and Refugees in Darfur stated that RSF artillery targeted Abu Shouk camp, killing multiple displaced civilians during Maghrib prayer. Earlier shelling on the same camp resulted in at least five civilian deaths and several injuries, with no emergency response available.
According to UNICEF reports, dozens of civilians, including at least 23 children and several aid workers, have been killed in North Darfur over the past three days. In Al Fasher, 16 children were reportedly killed, while six children and nine aid workers died in an attack on Zamzam camp. Over the last three months, more than 140 children in Al Fasher have been killed or maimed.
Access to Zamzam camp is blocked, and armed groups are targeting rural villages, making aid delivery nearly impossible. Approximately one million people, half of them children, are at high risk without urgent supplies. The limited humanitarian response is threatened by escalating violence, and unimpeded access is essential for lifesaving aid.
Since April 2023, clashes between the RSF and the Sudanese army have resulted in over 20,000 deaths and 15 million displaced. The resistance committee has accused the RSF of deliberately targeting civilians and called for an immediate halt to violence, urging international organizations to intervene. The RSF has not directly addressed the situation but claims commitment to protecting civilians.
Meanwhile, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk denounced on Friday the inaction of both the international community and the warring parties, as the conflict on civilians in Sudan continues into its third year.
