Sudan: Over 100 Civilians Killed in Attacks

Over one hundred civilians have been killed in recent attacks on displacement camps in El Fasher, North Darfur, Sudan, escalating the already dire humanitarian crisis gripping the nation. According to local officials, the attacks were carried out by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) over the past two days.

Ibrahim Khatir, director general of North Darfur State’s health authority, reported that over 100 civilians were killed Friday in an attack on the Zamzam displacement camp, with numerous others injured. He further stated that another 14 civilians were killed Saturday in a separate RSF attack on the Abu Shouk displacement camp, again with dozens sustaining injuries. Tragically, among those killed in the Zamzam camp were nine employees of Relief International, a non-governmental organization operating a field hospital within the camp.

Emergency Room, a volunteer group responding to the crisis, reported 40 civilians killed and hundreds injured Saturday due to heavy shelling by the RSF targeting the Abu Shouk camp.

The RSF has yet to issue a statement regarding the attacks.

These incidents occur amidst ongoing, fierce fighting in El Fasher between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the RSF, a conflict that began in May 2024. This latest violence underscores the brutal impact of the wider conflict in Sudan, which erupted in mid-April 2023. The United Nations, citing data from the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data project, estimates the conflict has claimed over 29,600 lives.

The targeting of displacement camps, and the loss of aid workers, is particularly appalling. It highlights a complete disregard for civilian life and severely hinders efforts to provide desperately needed humanitarian assistance to a population already suffering immensely. The international community must urgently increase pressure on all parties to the conflict to protect civilians, allow unimpeded access for aid, and pursue a meaningful path towards peace. The scale of the suffering demands immediate and sustained attention.