Port Sudan, April 15(Darfur24)
The United Nations announced on Tuesday that more than 400 civilians – including women, children, and the elderly, along with 12 aid workers – were killed in Zamzam and Umm Kadada, North Darfur, over the past three days.
The Rapid Support Forces(RS announced over the past two days that they had captured both Umm Kadada town and Zamzam camp for internally displaced people (IDPs)in North Darfur state, following clashes with the joint force allied with the Sudanese army.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Sudan (OCHA) said that estimates indicate that more than 400,000 people have fled Zamzam, seeking safety in the localities of El Fasher, Dar es Salaam, Tawila, and Jebel Marra, in Central Darfur state.
OCHA noted that humanitarian partners intend to distribute essential non-food items to more than 9,000 displaced people from Zamzam who have taken refuge in El Fasher. He noted that continued insecurity and communications blackouts in and around El Fasher impede access to the camp and endanger aid workers.
The statement explained that Rapid Support Forces forces launched artillery, drone, and ground attacks on the Zamzam and Abu Shouk camps for displaced people, as well as El Fasher city, on April 11 and 12, resulting in civilian deaths and mass displacement.
In a statement marking the second anniversary of the conflict in Sudan, Humanitarian Coordinator Clementine Nkweta Salami called for an immediate cessation of hostilities and urged parties to the conflict to fulfill their obligations to protect civilians and humanitarian workers.
As of April 15, access to Zamzam camp remains inaccessible, and communications blackouts continue to hamper efforts to verify the situation on the ground. However, reports indicate that Rapid Support Forces forces have taken control of the camp and are preventing those who remain, especially young men, from leaving.
The statement stated that the displaced from Zamzam have been stripped of all their belongings and are arriving at the displacement sites with nothing, in dire need of food, shelter, and basic supplies.
Thousands of displaced people in Zamzam camp have been suffering from famine conditions since August 2024. Satellite images reveal widespread destruction throughout the camp.
The statement added that “an inter-cluster mission is planned to be sent to Tawila locality later this month to assist the newly displaced households.”