Sudan's Rapid Support Forces target humanitarian facilities in deadly two-day assault on civilian camps, leaving aid workers and children among the dead
Paramilitary forces have conducted a devastating two-day attack on displacement camps in Sudan's Darfur region, killing more than 100 people including children and aid workers, in what United Nations officials are calling a "deadly and unacceptable escalation" of violence. The assault targeted the Zamzam and Abu Shorouk camps near El Fasher city, destroying crucial humanitarian infrastructure in an area already suffering from famine and extreme deprivation.
Deadly Assault on Vulnerable Civilians
The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and allied militias launched coordinated ground and aerial strikes on Friday, April 11, which continued into Saturday, April 12, according to United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan, Clementine Nkweta-Salami. The casualties include at least 20 children and nine humanitarian aid workers who were operating one of the few remaining medical facilities in the region.
"This represents yet another deadly and unacceptable escalation in a series of brutal attacks on displaced people and aid workers in Sudan since the onset of this conflict nearly two years ago," Nkweta-Salami said in a statement on Saturday CBS News1.
The paramilitary forces broke through the camp perimeter on Friday evening after hours of shelling, destroying hundreds of makeshift homes and the central market before turning their attack on the camp's last remaining medical clinic, according to Relief International, the aid group that runs the facility The New York Times2.
Ibrahim Abdullah, director general of the ministry of health in North Darfur, posted on Facebook that nine medical staff working for Relief International had been "executed" during the attack The Washington Post3.
Medical Facility Targeted
The assault on healthcare infrastructure was particularly devastating. Among those killed were six medical workers with Relief International, including the head doctor and four drivers, effectively wiping out the organization's entire staff at the clinic Al Jazeera4.
Kashif Shafique, Relief International's Sudan director, revealed in a phone interview that the aid workers — five medics and four drivers — had been shot dead after paramilitaries took over their facility. "Paramilitaries had warned the medics to leave the day before the attack," Shafique said. "But they had to treat civilians wounded by shelling and, in any event, the main routes out of the camp were blocked" The New York Times2.
The attackers also destroyed a community kitchen used to feed starving families, killing three female volunteers, one of whom was pregnant The Washington Post3.
Relief International, in a statement, mourned the deaths, saying they were killed in a "targeted attack on all health infrastructure in the region." The organization described it as "a profound tragedy for our organization" CBS News1.
Amplifying Humanitarian Crisis
The attacks have forced approximately 2,400 people to flee the camps and el-Fasher, according to the General Coordination for Displaced Persons and Refugees, a local group in Darfur DW5.
This violence compounds an already catastrophic humanitarian situation. The Zamzam and Abu Shouk camps collectively shelter more than 700,000 displaced people, many of whom have fled previous conflicts in the region CBS News1.
"A large number of the wounded will die because the roads have been cut off, and the medical personnel have been killed," reported local sources. Communications were also down, leaving residents isolated amid the intense shelling and gunfire The Washington Post3.
Civil War Context
The attack comes just days before the two-year anniversary of Sudan's civil war, which erupted in April 2023 after two generals who had previously cooperated to overthrow a fledgling civilian-military government turned against each other The Washington Post3.
The conflict has created what is widely considered the world's worst humanitarian crisis. Around 25 million people, nearly half of Sudan's population of 50 million, are now facing extreme hunger, with pockets of famine spreading in Darfur and the Kordofan mountains DW5.
"The assault on the Zamzam camp, which holds 500,000 people in the besieged city of El Fasher, was notable even by the standards of a civil war that has seen countless atrocities as well as accusations of genocide," reported The New York Times The New York Times2.
The RSF has been battling to take control of Zamzam camp and the city of El Fasher in Sudan's western region of Darfur for nearly a year. Their attacks have been characterized by extreme sexual violence, looting, ethnic cleansing, and mass killings of civilians The Washington Post3.
International Response
The United Nations has strongly condemned the attacks, with Nkweta-Salami urging "those committing such acts to immediately desist" Al Jazeera4.
Sudan's Doctors' Union blamed the RSF for what they called "this criminal and barbaric act" CBS News1.
Earlier this month, Amnesty International published a report accusing the RSF of subjecting women and girls to horrific sexual violence and gang rape as part of their strategy in the country's civil war Al Jazeera4.
The attacks on healthcare facilities and aid workers come at a critical time when humanitarian organizations are already struggling to provide essential services in a region where conflict has severely restricted access to food, medicine, and other basic necessities.
Future Implications
The targeting of the last operational medical facility in Zamzam raises serious concerns about the future of humanitarian operations in the region. Relief International was the last organization providing critical services at the camp, and the deaths of their entire staff will likely create an even more desperate situation for the hundreds of thousands of vulnerable people sheltering there DW5.
With communications down and roads cut off, many of the wounded from these attacks may not receive timely medical attention, potentially increasing the death toll in the coming days The Washington Post3.
The violence has effectively eliminated what little humanitarian infrastructure remained in an area already facing famine conditions. Medical staff had been struggling to help sick, starving, and injured children and mothers giving birth despite frequent attacks and severe shortages of basic items like food, local anesthetic, and stitches The Washington Post3.
As Sudan's civil war approaches its two-year mark with no resolution in sight, the question remains: How many more civilians will fall victim to this conflict before the international community takes decisive action to protect those caught in the crossfire?
