The Lives of a Million Displaced People in Zamzam Camp, Darfur, Are at Risk

Sudan Events – Agencies

In a small hut made of straw and some old covers at the Zamzam IDP camp in North Darfur, Salma Adam sits trying to comfort her 3-year-old daughter who expresses her hunger loudly. The place is filled with a heavy silence, broken only by the child’s cries, which intensify the suffering of the family.

Salma tells Al Jazeera Net, “The last substantial meal we had was a month ago. Now, we live on water and some corn kernels donated by a benefactor in the area. Life here has become unbearable, as we live in constant fear of bombing and hunger.”

She adds that obtaining food has become a distant dream, as they face harsh living conditions, with children suffering the most. “I see many of them suffering as my daughter does, and I can’t do anything to help them.”

Multiple Threats

Salma’s family (32 years old) is part of nearly one million displaced people in the sprawling camp, facing food insecurity and worsening humanitarian conditions, especially with the increasing numbers of people fleeing neighboring areas due to multiple threats from the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

Since December 1, 2023, these forces have been launching artillery attacks on Zamzam camp, located about 15 kilometers south of Al-Fasher city, claiming the presence of elements from the joint forces of the movements allied with the army inside the camp, which shelters nearly a million displaced people.

On February 26, 2024, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) announced a temporary suspension of aid distribution in the camp, which is suffering from famine due to the escalating fighting in the country. The regional director of the program, Laurent Bukera, emphasized in a statement, “Without immediate assistance, thousands of desperate families in the camp may face famine in the coming weeks,” stressing the need to resume lifesaving aid quickly and safely.

This decision comes at a time when residents fear the repetition of the famine and diseases that Darfur suffered from in previous years, especially with the continued deterioration of security conditions, as the displaced live under the threat of random shelling on one side and the absence of food and medicine on the other.

According to Mohamed Khames Doda, the official spokesperson for the displaced in Zamzam camp, the situation there has become unbearable. He tells Al Jazeera Net, “We are in dire need of humanitarian aid. Families are suffering from hunger and disease, and children are the most affected.”

He added that according to statistics, the number of displaced people fleeing from areas southeast of the camp, who arrived last week, has exceeded 10,000 families. The total number of displaced people in the camp is estimated at one million. He urged everyone “to act quickly to save those in need, as the situation worsens day by day.”

He also pointed out that the displaced in the camp suffer from a severe shortage of medicines and treatment after Doctors Without Borders left, putting them at greater health risks. He expressed hope that aid would arrive “before it’s too late.”

Humanitarian Crisis

In February 2024, Doctors Without Borders issued a serious warning about the humanitarian situation in Zamzam camp, reporting that one child dies every two hours due to malnutrition. The organization called for an urgent and comprehensive response to save lives and provide necessary assistance to those affected by this crisis.

In this regard, Adam Rijal, the official spokesperson for the displaced and refugees in Darfur, told Al Jazeera Net that nearly 500,000 people in Zamzam suffer from food insecurity. He pointed out that according to local indicators, about 13 children die every 24 hours due to these harsh conditions, requiring immediate action from the concerned authorities and the international community.

For his part, activist Mohamed Adam in the camp calls on the local and international communities to intervene and provide aid to the displaced in the region “even by airlifting relief materials.” He tells Al Jazeera Net, “We are facing a real humanitarian crisis and need urgent support. Everyone must act to help us.”

According to Adam, “Militias are imposing a suffocating siege and preventing aid from entering.” He also stressed the importance of providing medical assistance, saying, “Many people are at risk of diseases due to the lack of healthcare. We ask humanitarian organizations to reconsider their plans and direct their support to the camps, especially with the increasing number of displaced people.”

He confirmed that the World Food Programme had been operating in Zamzam camp in recent months before suspending its interventions.

The number of displaced people in the camp is doubling daily, with hundreds of families fleeing southeastern areas due to RSF violations, including village burnings and forced displacement.

Maryam Dawood, a new displaced person in the camp, tells Al Jazeera Net, “We fled from death, but found ourselves in a worse situation. We need help, no one deserves to live like this.”

She pointed out that children are suffering from hunger and disease, with no one to provide the necessary care. She continued, “We live in harsh conditions, relying on aid that has recently decreased. We hope it arrives soon before the situation worsens further.”

Negative Effects

In a controversial decision, U.S. President Donald Trump, in January, stopped 75% of the employees of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and expelled hundreds of them. He also temporarily froze most of the global humanitarian projects funded by the agency, which are a lifeline for millions of vulnerable people worldwide.

Although the direct impact of this decision on Sudan remains unclear, local observers expressed concern about its negative effects on the global humanitarian safety net that fragile countries like Sudan rely on to meet the needs of the most vulnerable groups.

In this context, Baha’ Eddin Bashara Sharif, director of the Darfur Organization for Development and Human Resources, told Al Jazeera Net, “The decision to suspend foreign aid increases the suffering of Sudanese, especially in Zamzam camp, which is facing a siege from the RSF and is at risk of famine.”

Sharif, whose organization works inside the camp, added, “Humanity and politics cannot be separated, and in such decisions, the vulnerable pay the price with their blood and suffering.” He emphasized the need for continued humanitarian support.

Since mid-April, the RSF has imposed a siege on the historic city of Al-Fasher, in addition to the Zamzam, Abu Shouk, and Al-Salam camps for displaced people.

In May, the intensity of battles between the RSF and the Sudanese army increased in an attempt to control Al-Fasher, but they faced strong resistance from the army and its allies in the region.

Source: Al Jazeera Net