GENEVA – Medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has suspended its operations in the Zamzam camp in Sudan’s North Darfur due to escalating violence, the organization announced on Monday. The camp, home to around half a million people displaced by Sudan’s 22-month civil war, has been besieged by intense fighting between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudanese army. MSF was one of the few humanitarian groups still active in the area, operating a field hospital that provided critical care to the wounded and treated thousands of malnourished children.
MSF cited the proximity of the violence, severe supply shortages, and the inability to deploy experienced medical staff as reasons for halting its activities. “We have no choice but to suspend all our operations in Zamzam camp, including our field hospital, despite the widespread starvation and overwhelming humanitarian needs,” said Yahya Kalilah, MSF’s Head of Mission in Sudan. This month alone, the field hospital treated 139 patients with gunshot and shrapnel wounds, but 11 of them died due to a lack of essential medical equipment.
The ongoing war, which erupted in April 2023, has killed tens of thousands of people, displaced millions, and driven half of Sudan into hunger, with several areas now facing famine. Humanitarian agencies have struggled to provide aid amid the relentless fighting and deteriorating security situation. MSF’s withdrawal marks a severe blow to the already dire humanitarian crisis in North Darfur, leaving the camp’s vulnerable population with even fewer resources to survive the ongoing conflict.