Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have reportedly taken control of the Zamzam displacement camp in North Darfur following three days of intense attacks, triggering a mass exodus and worsening the region’s humanitarian crisis.
Local officials and aid workers confirmed that thousands of families fled the camp, which houses more than half a million displaced people, as fighting intensified. The RSF assault, allegedly led by commander Jedo Abenchok, has left hundreds dead and injured, according to Sudanese opposition figures and humanitarian sources.
The UN’s International Organization for Migration (IOM) estimates over 3,000 families fled toward El Fasher and surrounding areas. North Darfur’s humanitarian aid commissioner, Abbas Yousif Adam, said up to 70,000 families were displaced in total.
The assault on Zamzam included heavy shelling, ground attacks, and destruction of critical infrastructure, including water sources and medical facilities. Activist-shared footage appeared to show RSF fighters entering the camp’s police station after clashes with army forces and allied groups.
Human rights groups, including Sudan’s Emergency Lawyers, accused the RSF of deliberately targeting civilians and aid infrastructure. Reports indicate that a medical clinic operated by the International Rescue Committee—believed to be the camp’s last functioning health facility—was attacked, resulting in the death of humanitarian staff.
Water shortages have worsened due to the destruction of supply lines and groundwater sources in Zamzam, Abu Shouk, and El Fasher.
The violence has drawn widespread condemnation from international organizations, including the UN and the United States, as well as from Sudan’s National Umma Party, which demanded an end to military operations near camps and civilian areas.
With the humanitarian situation deteriorating rapidly, observers warn that continued attacks on displacement camps may lead to an even greater humanitarian catastrophe in Darfur.