Desperate Struggles Under Siege: Civilians in Sudan's Zamzam Camp Face Dire Conditions

Tue Sep 23 2025 15:43:35 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

Continued assaults in Sudan's Zamzam camp leave residents struggling for survival amidst escalating violence and humanitarian crisis.

Residents of the Zamzam camp in Sudan are experiencing severe attacks and dire living conditions as violence escalates due to the ongoing civil war. As over 100 civilians, including children, have reportedly been killed, the humanitarian crisis worsens, with critical healthcare access virtually eliminated.

Devastating violence has engulfed the Zamzam camp in Sudan, which shelters hundreds of thousands of people who have fled the ongoing civil war, now entering its second anniversary. Reports emerging from residents describe the situation as increasingly catastrophic, with urgent calls for humanitarian intervention. The UN has reported that over 100 civilians—among them at least 20 children and members of a medical team—have lost their lives due to a series of violent assaults attributed to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

The brutality began late last week in the Darfur region, affecting not only Zamzam camp but also the city of el-Fasher and surrounding areas, leading to stark warnings from humanitarian officials. The UN’s humanitarian coordinator for Sudan, Clementine Nkweta-Salami, expressed grave concern, decrying the escalation of violence against vulnerable displaced individuals and aid workers.

Relief International has highlighted particularly harrowing losses, confirming the deaths of nine of its personnel, including medical workers, due to an alleged targeted assault on healthcare facilities in the region. This attack has resulted in a significant loss of medical resources, leaving residents without necessary healthcare amidst worsening conditions.

Residents continue to relay grim accounts of life within the camp. One individual reported a large number of fatalities among young people due to the attacks. With medical supplies scarce and the clinic bombed, the local population faces tragedy as they suffer without any means for treatment. “Death is everywhere," stated another resident as they described the ongoing shelling, with all escape routes from the camp blocked off.

Experts from Yale University have identified this assault as one of the most significant ground-based attacks on Zamzam since the conflict reignited in spring 2024. Their assessment noted extensive structural damage within the camp, caused by both shelling and arson.

The conflict in Sudan, fueled by a power struggle between the army and the RSF, has spiraled into what is now one of the largest humanitarian crises worldwide. Since starting on April 15, 2023, the fighting has displaced over 12 million people, driving them into desperate hunger and despair while the remaining holdouts in el-Fasher endure persistent sieges.

While it continues to unfold, the international community watches closely, hoping for an end to the violence that has decimated communities and marginalized countless civilians in Sudan.