The doctor without borders says it was too dangerous to operate due to the increased combat in and around Zamzam Camp.
The borderless doctor says he has suspended work in a hunger-hit camp for displaced people in the North Darfur region of Sudan.
In a statement Monday, the medical charity known for the French acronym MSF said that the fight in and around Zamzam Camp “is impossible to continue to provide medical assistance” near the town of El Fasher. “He said.
“Despite widespread hunger and immense humanitarian needs, there is no choice but to make a decision to suspend all activities at camps, including MSF Field Hospital,” the group said.
MSF is one of the few humanitarian groups still working in the camp, houseing around half a million people who were refuge in Sudan’s devastating 22-month civil war.
Health workers at the organizational outdoor hospital in Zamzam helped treat people injured in attacks by paramilitary rapid support forces (RSF) this month, providing care to thousands of malnourished children .
“It is a heartbreaking decision to suspend the project during the worsening disaster at Zamzam,” said Yahya Kalilah, MSF’s Sudan Country Director.
“The pure proximity of violence, great difficulty in sending supplies, the impossible to send experienced staff for proper assistance, and the uncertainty about routes from camps for colleagues and civilians leaves us with little choice.”
We have made the difficult decision to suspend activities at Zamzam camp in North Darfur Sudan. Violence has involved the camp and hosted around half a million people.
We urge all armed actors in the region to protect civilians.
Details: https://t.co/7zb32yoe5d
– MSF International (@MSF) February 24, 2025
The war in Sudan broke out between the RSF and the Sudanese army in April 2023.
The parties are accused of war crimes as the UN says violence has killed tens of thousands of people and 14 million people have fled their homes, spurring a humanitarian crisis.
On February 11, RSF stormed Zamzam, causing a two-day clash with the Army and the allied armed groups, causing about 10,000 families to escape.
MSF said the team has treated 139 patients with gunshot wounds and rap shotgun shots at field hospitals so far this month. However, 11 people, including five children, died due to lack of equipment needed by the facility.
The organization also said the ambulances have been targeted in recent months.
Meanwhile, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned on Monday of “further escalations” after the RSF and its allies agreed to form a parallel government.
Guterres spokesman Stephen Duharlic said the UN chief was “deeply interested” in the announcement Sunday. “This will further escalate the conflict… deepen the fragmentation of the country,” Dujarric said.
The RSF-led government is not expected to receive widespread recognition as it has been accused of carrying out war crimes, including genocide.
But that is a sign that Sudan’s division may be cementing while the RSF focuses on the western region of Darfur.
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