RSF assault forces thousands to flee Sudan’s largest refugee camp

Thousands of displaced families from the Zamzam refugee camp in Sudan's Darfur region have arrived in the town of Tawila following an attack on the camp by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary.

In a statement released on Wednesday, Save the Children said the town of Tawila, located around 70km from Zamzam, had absorbed thousands of people, including severely malnourished children.

The charity noted that many of those arriving "reported witnessing or experiencing horrific physical violence with some children separated from their parents in the chaos and now suffering from extreme mental trauma”.

The mass displacement of people from the Zamzam camp – Sudan's largest refugee camp – followed an assault by the RSF last Friday, with 400,000 people reported to have fled.

At least 400 people, including 12 humanitarian aid workers, were killed in the attack on Zamzam, which is near the besieged city of Al-Fashir.

Other attacks were also launched against areas surrounding Al-Fashir, such as Um Kadadah.

Save the Children reported that those who have arrived in Tawila are now sheltering in open areas or public buildings in temperatures of up to 35 degrees Celsius and are relying solely on humanitarian aid.

Deputy Country Director for Save the Children Sudan, Francesco Lanino, warned of the need to provide food and shelter to those newly displaced, as well as establish health services and water sources.

The town lacks the capacity to take in the displaced, he said.

"We also need to be able to provide mental health and psychosocial support particularly for children and caregivers who have witnessed traumatic events such as killing and maiming of their family members," Lanino said.

The UN's humanitarian office (OCHA) said on Wednesday that it was "gravely concerned by the escalating violence and deteriorating situation in and around Al-Fashir, the capital of North Darfur State”.

The city is the last remaining government stronghold in Darfur and has been resisting RSF attacks since the outbreak of the war in April 2023.

Darfur has witnessed some of the most extreme violence of the war, with both the Sudanese and US governments accusing the RSF of committing genocide against the Masalit people in the region.

The Sudanese government has also been accused of war crimes by the US, and has been sanctioned alongside the RSF.

The war has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced 13 million, according to UN estimates.