Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has announced the suspension of its operations in the Zamzam camp for displaced people in North Darfur, Sudan, citing a surge in violent attacks that have made it too perilous to continue providing medical assistance, Al Jazeera reports.
The medical charity, a critical lifeline for the camp’s estimated half a million residents displaced by Sudan’s ongoing civil war, released a statement on Monday, declaring the situation in and around Zamzam “impossible” to navigate.
“Despite widespread starvation and immense humanitarian needs, we have no choice but to take the decision to suspend all our activities in the camp, including the MSF field hospital,” the statement read.
MSF was one of the few remaining humanitarian organizations operating in Zamzam, offering critical care in a region ravaged by conflict. Their field hospital had been treating individuals wounded in recent attacks by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), as well as providing essential care to thousands of malnourished children.
Sudan has been gripped by a devastating civil war since April 2023, pitting the RSF against the Sudanese military. Both factions have been accused of war crimes. The United Nations estimates the violence has claimed tens of thousands of lives, forced 14 million people from their homes, and precipitated a severe humanitarian crisis.
The precarious situation in Zamzam was further exacerbated on February 11 when the RSF reportedly stormed the camp, triggering two days of intense clashes with the army and allied armed groups. The United Nation’s International Organization for Migration (IOM) estimates that approximately 10,000 families were forced to flee the violence.
MSF reports its teams have treated 139 patients suffering from gunshot and shrapnel wounds at their field hospital this month alone. However, the organization also reported the tragic deaths of 11 individuals, including five children, due to a lack of essential equipment at the facility.
