Starvation Threatens Over 700,000 Displaced Persons in Darfur
Sudan Events – Agencies
More than 700,000 displaced people in the Abu Shouk camp near El Fasher are facing extremely dire humanitarian conditions due to ongoing shelling by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which has resulted in dozens of deaths and injuries, mostly among women and children. Meanwhile, survivors are experiencing a “humanitarian catastrophe” due to hunger, disease, and epidemics.
On Thursday, 13 people were killed and 25 others injured by RSF shelling of the camp, located north of El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur state, which has been under siege for over a year.
The siege has led to the closure of shops due to the lack of essential goods and fear of random shelling. Informal vendors have displayed sugar and flour on the ground and sold them at exorbitant prices. Most displaced people in the camp cannot afford these essential items due to soaring prices, and accessing markets is extremely dangerous, although some still risk doing so during bombardments.
Ongoing fighting and shelling have forced residents to remain in their homes, which are mostly made of local materials and mud and provide little protection from gunfire and explosions.
Adam Regal, the spokesperson for the Displaced Persons Coordination, told Asharq Al-Awsat that Abu Shouk camp houses more than 700,000 displaced people—some since the early days of the Darfur war in 2003, and others who arrived more recently.
Regal pointed out that Abu Shouk is among the camps most heavily shelled by the RSF, resulting in hundreds of casualties. However, the camp has not received the same level of attention as Zamzam camp, also located in El Fasher.
The spokesperson described the situation in Abu Shouk as catastrophic, calling for urgent international intervention and immediate aid. “Dozens of displaced people have died of hunger, and hundreds are suffering from malnutrition, especially children and pregnant women,” he said, adding, “Camp residents cannot afford to buy flour and sugar due to the high prices and lack of money.”
Regal warned of the growing threat of disease and epidemics due to the collapse of healthcare services following the destruction of hospitals and clinics, as well as the shortage of clean drinking water and life-saving medicines, particularly for those with chronic conditions such as hypertension and diabetes.
Darfur Governor Minni Arko Minawi expressed his regret over what he described as “the international community’s silence regarding the violations committed against residents of Abu Shouk camp,” calling them “crimes against humanity.”
In June, the UN Security Council issued a resolution demanding that the RSF lift its siege of El Fasher, which has been encircled since May 2024.
The RSF controls all five Darfur states, except for El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, which remains under the control of the army and joint forces. Should El Fasher fall to the RSF, it would mark their complete control over the vast Darfur region.
