Zamzam Camp: Famine Amid Government Denial
Zamzam Camp, located approximately 15 kilometers southwest of Al-Fashir and home to more than 500,000 people, is facing a severe humanitarian crisis. The camp is grappling with acute food shortages, lack of drinking water, and inadequate health services, compounded by a shortage of humanitarian aid.
Local organizations provide some food aid, but it covers less than 1 per cent of the camp’s needs, according to a worker at one of the organizations. Despite occasional aid from expatriates and international groups, the relief is insufficient, addressing the needs of only a few families.
Zahraa, a displaced woman residing in Zamzam Camp since 2003, reported that conditions have never been worse. She noted an increasing number of deaths due to hunger, particularly among the elderly and children. Doctors Without Borders reported in early February that a child dies every two hours in the camp due to malnutrition-related diseases.
Established after the outbreak of the Darfur civil war in early 2003, Zamzam has continually received displaced people from various parts of Darfur. The situation worsened following the conflict’s eruption on April 15, 2023, which brought new waves of displaced individuals from Nyala and Al-Fashir, further straining the camp’s already limited resources.
M A, a volunteer at the camp, highlighted that the influx of new arrivals has exacerbated food, water, and health shortages. Scarcity of aid is directed primarily towards the newly displaced, who are in dire need.
Khadija, also displaced since 2003, expressed her despair over the lack of aid. She struggles to buy food due to high prices and merchant refusal to accept payments through mobile banking services. The camp has also suffered from recent floods, destroying over 1,005 homes and leaving many residents, like Zahia, exposed to the elements.
Health services in Zamzam are overstretched. Although there are several health centers managed by organizations like Relief International and Doctors Without Borders, the situation remains critical. Samia, a displaced woman, recounted having to wait an entire day to see a doctor due to overcrowding.
Despite the grave conditions, the North Darfur State Humanitarian Aid Commission has denied the existence of famine in the camp, accusing organizations of political motives. The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has labeled the situation as a large-scale humanitarian crisis affecting millions of children.
Abu Shouk Camp: Shelling, floods, and deplorable conditions
On August 12, Abu Shouk Camp in North Darfur was struck by artillery shelling, adding to the suffering of its displaced residents. The camp has endured repeated shelling, floods, and other disasters this year, worsening the already dire living conditions.
The rainy season has exacerbated the situation, with rainwater accumulating in a nearby pond and flooding homes. The camp’s Emergency Room team reports that nearly 350 homes have collapsed, and many more have been affected by shelling and structural damage.
Efforts to mitigate the flooding, such as opening drainage channels, have been inadequate due to a lack of modern equipment. The camp has seen a rise in diseases, and health centers have been closed or are operating under severe constraints. The only therapeutic nutrition center for children is also closed, leaving many without necessary care.
The camp’s market prices have surged due to the blockades and ongoing fighting, with essential goods becoming increasingly unaffordable for residents. The closure of roads has restricted the flow of goods, leading traders to seek risky alternative routes, further inflating prices.
Omdurman: Malaria, Cholera outbreaks and environmental degradation
In Omdurman, the aftermath of recent rains has exacerbated an already dire situation. The city’s ancient neighborhoods have been ravaged by the ongoing conflict, and the rainy season has worsened the effects of environmental degradation.
The recent rains have led to an increase in malaria cases, with 29 reported within 10 days in Al-Thawra District 14. Cholera cases have also emerged in several areas, with 268 cases and 17 deaths reported in the states of Kassala, Gezira, and Khartoum.
The Federal Emergency Committee is working to address these issues by distributing chlorine to prevent new cholera cases. However, a health inspector in Karari locality warned of severe consequences if the accumulation of garbage and blocked drainage systems are not addressed.
Dr Sir Al-Khatim Fadl Al-Moula, head of the Supreme Committee for Rainy Season Emergencies, reported that efforts have been made to clean drains and remove debris, despite challenges from mines and unexploded ordnance.
In areas controlled by the RSF, rain damage has been significant, with blocked drains causing flooding and increased mosquito breeding. Residents in these areas face severe shortages of medical supplies, with essential medications available only on the black market.
El-Obeid: Shelling casualties among women and schoolchildren
After a period of relative calm, El-Obeid was struck by Katyusha rockets on Wednesday August 14 , causing eight deaths and over 50 injuries, primarily among women, children, and schoolchildren. The attack, which targeted schools and government institutions, came as a shock to residents who had begun to resume normal activities.
Security sources suggest the attack aimed to disrupt SAF operations and reinforce the ongoing siege on the city. The shelling has led to widespread paralysis, with concerns about food shortages and rising prices.
Traders anticipate a worsening situation if shelling continues, as high prices and restricted goods threaten to deplete supplies. RSF control over transport routes has led to high fees and shortages, further impacting the city’s ability to receive essential supplies.
Ad-Deain: Critical hospital under fire
Residents of Ad-Deain, the capital of East Darfur State, were going about their daily lives on the afternoon of Tuesday, August 20, when a Sudanese Air Force fighter jet suddenly appeared overhead. The aircraft wasted no time before launching an attack, scattering debris around Ad-Deain General Hospital, located in the heart of the city, causing widespread panic.
The attack resulted in the immediate death of eight civilians and injured thirteen others. However, as searches continued under the rubble for possible victims, the death toll rose to nine by the evening, with over seventeen wounded, including children, women, medical staff working at the hospital, and passersby near the hospital.
The area surrounding the hospital houses several significant facilities, including police and judiciary buildings, multiple government offices, and a displacement centre at Al-Khansa Primary School and Al-Om Secondary School for Girls.
The impact of the shrapnel extended over a radius of more than 700 metres, affecting numerous homes.
Citizen A. A., who lives three streets east of the hospital, says the death toll climbed to seventeen by the morning of Wednesday, August 21, with the number of injured reaching eighteen.
Ad-Deain had remained largely untouched by the conflict that erupted on April 15 of 2023.
After the 20th Infantry Division withdrew from its garrison in late November of last year, the city experienced only a few aerial sorties, the last of which occurred on the morning of February 20 this year, killing eight people and injuring several others. That attack targeted various residential areas across the city.
This time, however, the strike hit a critical service location, the Ad-Deain Hospital, which has been providing healthcare services since its establishment in 1955.
Over the years, the hospital has expanded to meet the growing needs of the population across nine localities, ever since East Darfur was designated as a state in 2012. The hospital has also served displaced persons from the Darfur conflicts and the recent war, with the state continuing to receive those fleeing the violence in Khartoum and neighbouring Darfur states affected by the ongoing clashes. Ad-Deain alone hosts ten displacement centres.
Witnesses reported that the bombing targeted the southwestern section of the hospital, which houses the internal medicine and renal wards, the medical council office, and the immunisation department. The attack’s effects reached the neighbouring Al-Khansa School, separated from the hospital by a single street, where a displacement centre is located, and remedial classes are held for students unable to attend school due to closures since the war began. The bombing resulted in the immediate death of one child and left others severely injured, who are still receiving treatment.
By Wednesday evening, the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) had yet to issue a statement on the incident, which has been condemned by all parties decrying the targeting of hospitals and centres serving unarmed civilians. The injured were transferred to Al-Osra Private Hospital after receiving first aid.
