Medical charity MSF announced on Monday that it has been compelled to halt its operations in a famine-affected camp in North Darfur, Sudan, due to intense fighting in the region.
MSF was among the few organizations still providing assistance in the beleaguered Zamzam camp, which is home to approximately 500,000 individuals displaced by Sudan’s ongoing civil war, now in its 22nd month.
The organization had been running a field hospital that treated victims of recent assaults by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and had also provided care for thousands of malnourished children.
“Given the severe starvation and critical humanitarian needs, we are left with no option but to suspend all our activities in the camp, including the MSF field hospital,” the charity stated in a release to the media.
MSF reported that its teams had treated 139 patients suffering from gunshot and shrapnel injuries this month, although 11 of those patients succumbed due to a lack of essential medical equipment.
“The close proximity of the violence, significant challenges in delivering supplies, the inability to send experienced personnel for adequate support, and uncertainty about safe exit routes for our staff and civilians leave us with no alternative,” explained Yahya Kalilah, MSF’s Head of Mission in Sudan.
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The conflict between the Rapid Support Forces and the army, which erupted in April 2023, has resulted in tens of thousands of fatalities and has driven half of Sudan into a state of hunger, with several areas facing famine conditions.
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