Humanitarian Crisis Deepens in North Darfur as Aid Access Remains Severely Limited

The United Nations has issued a stark warning about the escalating humanitarian crisis in Sudan’s North Darfur region, driven by relentless attacks by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), Al Jazeera reports.

Humanitarian organizations are struggling to provide aid due to severely restricted access, particularly in and around the besieged capital city of el-Fasher.

UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Sudan, Clementine Nkweta-Salami, released a statement on Sunday highlighting the perilous situation. The recent RSF attacks on Zamzam, Abu Shouk, and other refugee camps have triggered a mass exodus, creating a fluid and unpredictable environment as fears mount of a broader RSF offensive.

Just over a week ago, the RSF targeted Zamzam camp, a sprawling settlement that had sheltered up to 1 million people, and Abu Shouk. These attacks resulted in the deaths of at least 300 individuals and forced an estimated 400,000 residents to flee 37 miles across the harsh desert terrain to Tawila.

Nkweta-Salami urgently called for immediate and sustained access for UN and NGO personnel to the affected areas, emphasizing the necessity of delivering life-saving assistance safely and at scale. She warned that up to 450,000 displaced people are being increasingly cut off from vital supply chains and assistance, placing them at a significantly heightened risk of epidemic outbreaks, malnutrition, and famine.

Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) is already seeing the devastating impact of the violence. Project Coordinator Marion Ramstein reported that the NGO has treated over 170 individuals with gunshot and blast injuries, with a disproportionate number of women and girls, accounting for 40% of the casualties.

New arrivals in Tawila, a town controlled by an armed group that has remained neutral in the ongoing conflict, recounted harrowing tales of robbery and sexual violence at the hands of the paramilitaries. Several women reported being raped while fleeing to safety.

The conflict between the RSF and the Sudanese military government, which erupted in April 2023, has effectively divided the nation in two. The army maintains control in the north and east, while the RSF dominates most of Darfur and parts of the south.

This devastating war has already claimed the lives of tens of thousands and displaced over 12 million people. The United Nations has classified the situation as the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, and the recent developments in North Darfur are only exacerbating the already dire circumstances. The international community is being urged to increase aid and pressure warring factions to allow safe and unfettered access for humanitarian organizations to reach those in desperate need.