February 12, 2025

El Fasher, North Darfur State—A wave of deadly attacks has intensified in North Darfur, with displaced civilians in Zamzam IDP camp and surrounding villages bearing the brunt of the ongoing conflict between the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), and the Joint Forces.

The latest surge in violence has left civilians with nowhere to run, forcing families to seek shelter underground as relentless bombing and shelling continue.

Zamzam Camp Under Fire

On Tuesday, February 11, 2025, armed RSF fighters stormed Zamzam IDP camp, one of the largest displacement camps in Darfur. Eyewitnesses reported that markets were set ablaze, homes destroyed, and civilians targeted, leading to significant loss of life and widespread devastation.

The Joint Forces intervened, launching a counteroffensive that eventually pushed the RSF out of the camp. However, the withdrawal left behind widespread destruction, and the full scale of casualties is still being assessed.

Attack on Torondi Village

Following their retreat from Zamzam, RSF troops launched a fresh assault on Torondi village, southeast of the camp, killing at least four civilians:

• Haroun Musa Adam Dhahawi
• Ikhlas Tahir
• Kamal Abdulrahman
• Najwa Yaqoub

Several civilians were abducted, including Adam Mastour, while others remain unaccounted for. RSF fighters also looted livestock from the area, further exacerbating the economic and humanitarian toll on local communities.

Renewed Assaults and a Growing Humanitarian Crisis

As the fighting escalates, humanitarian organizations warn that conditions in Zamzam camp are deteriorating rapidly. On Wednesday morning, the Coordination of Resistance Committees in El Fasher reported a renewed RSF offensive, with continued shelling adding to the devastation.

Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has expressed grave concern over the safety of its staff and the estimated 300,000 displaced people in the camp. In a statement, the organization warned that its field hospital inside Zamzam is not equipped to handle the surge in trauma cases.

With key roads cut off by fighting, transferring critically injured patients to the Saudi Hospital in El Fasher is now impossible, leaving the wounded without access to life-saving medical care.

Hospitals Overwhelmed as Casualties Mount

Over the past 48 hours, medical teams at Zamzam’s MSF hospital have treated 40 injured patients, seven of whom died upon arrival due to the severity of their wounds. Dozens more remain in critical condition, with no access to emergency surgeries or essential medical supplies.

The siege imposed on El Fasher and Zamzam has also disrupted supply chains, making it nearly impossible to deliver food, water, and medicine to those in need. Fears are growing of an impending humanitarian catastrophe if aid organizations remain unable to operate.

Civilians Forced to Hide in Makeshift Underground Tunnels

Recent videos from Zamzam camp reveal the harrowing reality of families hiding inside makeshift tunnels, fearing the devastating impact of RSF shelling and SAF airstrikes. With no alternative land to flee to, these civilians—including women and children—are left with no choice but to remain underground.

During RSF interrogations, displaced individuals stated:
“We are hiding inside local tunnels because of heavy weapons, devastating shelling by RSF, and SAF airstrikes. We have nowhere else to go and no other land to seek refuge in.”

This underscores the grave threats faced by indigenous communities, who are caught in the crossfire of a non-international armed conflict. The targeting of civilians and the destruction of displacement camps constitute serious violations of human rights and international humanitarian law, warranting urgent international intervention.

Calls for Protection of Civilians and Medical Facilities

MSF and other humanitarian organizations are calling on all warring factions to respect international humanitarian law and immediately allow aid to reach civilians.

They have issued urgent demands for:

• Respect for health facilities and medical personnel.
• Immediate protection for displaced civilians trapped inside Zamzam camp.
• The opening of humanitarian corridors to allow safe passage for those injured and seeking medical attention.

International Community Urged to Act

The targeting of civilians, medical facilities, and IDP camps in Darfur constitutes a clear violation of international humanitarian law.

Human rights organizations, including DNHR, are calling for urgent international intervention to prevent further loss of life and to hold those responsible accountable.

As fighting continues to escalate, the people of Darfur remain trapped between warring factions, starvation, and relentless violence. The question now is how much longer the world will stand by as civilians are forced underground just to survive.