DARFUR- A United Nations humanitarian official in Sudan has issued a stark warning about the rapidly deteriorating situation in North Darfur, describing conditions in two major displacement camps as ‘catastrophic ‘ amid an intensifying siege by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) around the state capital, El Fasher.
In a public statement, Clementine Nkweta-Salami, the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Sudan, said civilians in Abu Shouk and Zamzam camps are effectively trapped, with no access to vital humanitarian aid.
“Civilians are besieged, and aid is not reaching those who need it the most,” Nkweta-Salami stated.
She called for an immediate ceasefire and humanitarian pauses to allow lifesaving aid to reach the displaced, warning that the already dire crisis could worsen dramatically without urgent access to the camps.
The warning comes as fierce clashes continue between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the RSF in and around El Fasher, the last major city in Darfur still under SAF’s control.
Humanitarian organisations have long struggled to reach vulnerable populations in the region, but the latest surge in violence and the RSF’s tightening siege have made access nearly impossible.
Both Abu Shouk and Zamzam are among the largest displacement camps in Sudan, sheltering tens of thousands of people who have fled violence from across Darfur. These communities, mostly made up of women and children, rely almost entirely on international aid for food, water, and medical care.
“The humanitarian crisis is worsening due to the inability to deliver aid to those in need,” Nkweta-Salami warned, adding that without a halt in fighting, humanitarian operations risk complete collapse in the region.
The situation in El Fasher has also turned deadly for civilians. Sudanese military authority reported that at least nine people, including children, were killed and seven others wounded following the RSF shelling of residential areas in the city.
The Sudan Armed Forces 6th Infantry Division issued an urgent advisory to residents, urging them to restrict movement and keep children indoors to avoid further casualties from what it described as “indiscriminate bombardment.”
“We call on all citizens to control movement and prevent children from playing in the streets for their own safety,” read the military statement.
Since the start of the war in April 2023, humanitarian access to Darfur has remained one of the most critical challenges facing aid groups. The current siege has cut off regular supply lines and exposed displaced populations to escalating hunger, disease, and insecurity.
The UN and other agencies continue to call on all parties to respect international humanitarian law and allow immediate, unimpeded access to affected populations. Without such Guarantees, aid officials warn, the region could face mass starvation and further civilian casualties in the coming weeks.
