The Famine Review Committee in Sudan’s North Darfur State earlier this week announced that large parts of the state, especially the Zamzam IDP Camp, are affected by severe famine.
The report which was seen by Radio Tamazuj attributes the humanitarian catastrophe to the ongoing war between the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) which started in April 2023 and has obstructed the delivery of vital aid and pushed the Zamzam IDP camp to the brink of famine.
“The extent of the devastation caused by the escalation of violence in El Fasher is horrific,” the report stated, noting that the ongoing, intense, and widespread clashes have forced many residents to seek refuge in IDP camps, where they face a harsh reality of scarcity or lack of basic services, which increases the level of suffering.
The report explained that about 320,000 people are believed to have been displaced since mid-April in El Fasher. It is believed that about 150,000 to 200,000 of them have moved to Zamzam camp in search of security, basic services, and food since mid-May.
According to the Famine Review Committee report, “the main drivers of famine in Zamzam camp are conflict and lack of humanitarian access, both of which can be remedied immediately with the necessary political will.”
Zamzam camp is located about 12 km south of El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur State, it is one of the largest internally displaced persons camps in Sudan, with the camp population increasing rapidly over the past weeks to at least 500,000 people.