Sudan: Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) forced to halt our activities as violence engulfs Zamzam camp in North Darfur
- MSF has made a difficult decision to suspend all activities at the Sultan Zam Zam camp, which hosts about 500,000 people seeking security from the Sudan conflict.
- This is after the attack escalation in and around Zamzam Camp.
- We will continue to look for every opportunity to help people at Zam Zam Camp without putting our staff at unacceptable levels of risk and urge all armed actors in the area to protect civilians.
Currently, attack and fight for displaced persons near El Fasher in North Darfur in the battles in and around Zamzam Camp. Sudanmaking it impossible for Médecins to continue providing medical assistance under such dangerous conditions. Despite widespread hunger and huge humanitarian needs, we had no choice but to decide to suspend all our activities in the MSF field hospitals.
In the first three weeks of February, our team at Zamzam received 139 injured patients at our field hospital, primarily suffering from Gunshots and shrapnel injuries. Designed to help solve large-scale Malnutrition Crisis ongoing in the camp, which was declared famine by the integrated food security phase classification last year, and MSF facilities are not available Trauma Surgery For those in critical conditions.
“11 patients died at the MSF hospital (5 of which were children) because we could neither treat them properly nor refer them to the only surgical facility near El Fasher’s surgical capability,” MSF Mission leader Yahya Kalilah said. Sudan. “In January and December, our two ambulances took patients from camp to El Fasher. Now it’s even more dangerous, so many people, including those who require trauma surgery or emergency caesarean section, are trapped in Zamzam.”
The region has seen rapid fierce fighting between support forces and joint forces, an alliance of armed groups that have formed an alliance with the Sudanese armed forces, with terrible consequences for civilians. Over the past 10 months, blockade and shelling of El Fasher towns, swift support forces have intensified their offensive in recent weeks and launched attacks on Zamzam Camp from February 11 to 12. Those who have now struggled to survive now find that their access to water and food is more compromised as the central market is plundered and burned.
“It was a heartbreaking decision to stop our projects amid the deteriorating disaster of the Zamzam disaster. Over the past two years, our team went out of their way to provide care for all kinds of difficulties, Call for and wait for a humanitarian response that has never been achieved,” Kalilah said. “But, with El Fasher fighting in a fierce battle, now directly reaching the Zamzam camp, there is no minimum safety status at present, and we have the least safety status.”
“The sheer distance of violence, the enormous difficulty of dispatching supplies, the impossibility of sending experienced staff to get enough support and uncertainty about our colleagues and civilians leaving the camp,” Kalilah said.
Zamzam Camp has about 500,000 people and has seen newcomers from Abu Zerega, Shagra and Saluma who now live under schools, community buildings or under open trees . They told our house team that caught fire, robbery, sexual violence, murder, assault and other abuses and the roads in the El Fasher area. Hundreds of families also arrived in Tavira, sometimes barefoot after leaving everything, escaping the horrific violence.
We pay close attention to the safety of Zamzam Camp staff and thousands of people and urge quick support to the troops, joint forces and all armed actors in the area to protect civilians and ensure that those willing to flee can do so without harm. .
In North Darfur, we continue to conduct emergency activities in Tawila while finding possible ways to help Zamzam and El Fasher People, without putting our employees at unacceptable levels of risk. In the west, central and southern Darfur and other parts of the country, our team continues to deal with catastrophic malnutrition and health crises, caused by relentless conflict, and the ongoing response to the belligerent parties has hampered humanitarian responses And intensified.
MSF reiterates our call to significantly expand the provision of assistance in many places. The warring parties must allow unhindered delivery of aid, and their allies and influential countries must use their leverage to alleviate obstacles that lead to death and hunger.
Distribution by Apo Group on behalf of Doctors Without Borders (MSF).
