Zamzam Camp, located near Al-Fashir in western Sudan, has been under regular attacks since early December 2024. Sudan’s largest refugee settlement has been targeted by artillery fire attributed to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group involved in an ongoing conflict with the army.
The assaults have resulted in at least 80 deaths and nearly 400 injuries. Humanitarian workers report critical shortages of medical supplies, while famine conditions persist. Refugees have resorted to eating peanut shells and animal fodder as food supplies diminish.
Satellite analysis from Yale University’s Humanitarian Research Lab confirms RSF artillery positions 35 kilometers (21.75 miles) from Zamzam Camp. Although the RSF claims their actions target armed groups within the camp, humanitarian organizations report that the shelling primarily affects civilians.
In addition to the attacks on Zamzam Camp, the RSF has also been implicated in violent incursions into medical facilities. On December 18, RSF soldiers stormed the emergency room of Bashair Teaching Hospital in South Khartoum, firing weapons and threatening medical staff. This follows a similar attack on November 11, where a patient was killed.