The UN humanitarian agency has expressed deep concern over the deteriorating security situation in Sudan, where two members of the NGO Relief International lost their lives this week in the Zamzam camp for internally displaced people.
Attacks by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in North Darfur are causing serious concern among humanitarian agencies. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported on
Thursday that thousands of internally displaced people have fled Zamzam to El-Fasher, taking refuge in open spaces and abandoned houses.
Clementine Nkweta-Salami, the UN humanitarian coordinator for Sudan, denounced the attacks and the blocking of evacuation routes, stressing that the wounded are not receiving medical care.
“I am shocked by the attacks on the Zamzam IDP camp and the blockages of evacuation routes, which are endangering the lives of civilians, while the wounded are not being treated,” she lamented on X.
The Rapid Support Forces, which have been waging war against the regular army since April 2023, control a large part of Darfur and have intensified their attacks on IDP camps, particularly near El-Fasher.
The UN has called for an urgent de-escalation of the conflict, stressing the need for unrestricted humanitarian space to meet the needs of millions of vulnerable people. According to the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), around 8,000 families have been displaced from the village of Saloma after an attack attributed to paramilitaries.
Paramilitaries are also accused of blocking humanitarian aid in the area. The UN has denounced restrictions imposed by the Sudan Relief and Humanitarian Operations Agency (SARHO), associated with the RSF, which are hampering the delivery of life-saving aid.
Since the conflict began in April 2023, nearly 9 million people have been displaced within Sudan, and 3.5 million have fled to neighbouring countries. Sudan is now the scene of the largest forced displacement crisis in the world, according to the UN.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has also warned of attacks on health facilities, recording 13 attacks in less than 40 days, killing 79 people and injuring 59.
WHO has highlighted that Sudan accounts for more than 20% of global health attacks in 2025.
In the face of these developments, Sudan is also battling several disease outbreaks, including cholera, which has already infected more than 53,200 people and caused 1,423 deaths in 12 states.
ODL/te/fss/as/APA