Sudan Paramilitary Attacks Kill Over 100, Displace Thousands

More than 100 people, including 20 children and nine humanitarian workers, are feared dead after Sudanese paramilitary forces launched coordinated assaults on the besieged Darfur city of El-Fasher and two nearby displacement camps, the United Nations reported on Saturday.

The Rapid Support Forces (RSF), engaged in a brutal conflict with Sudan’s regular army since April 2023, carried out ground and aerial attacks on El-Fasher—the last Darfur state capital outside their control—as well as the Zamzam and Abu Shouk camps, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

Initial reports from El-Fasher’s local resistance committee, a volunteer aid group, placed Friday’s death toll at 57, including 32 civilians in the city and 25 in Zamzam. However, Sudan’s army later stated that 74 civilians were killed and 17 wounded in El-Fasher alone. Activists noted that communication blackouts have obscured the full scale of the devastation in Zamzam.

Aid Workers Targeted in Escalating Violence

Among the dead were nine humanitarian staff operating a Zamzam clinic run by an international NGO, the Sudanese Organisation for the Protection of Civilians confirmed. UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator Clementine Nkweta-Salami condemned the killings, calling the attack part of a "deadly and unacceptable escalation" in violence against civilians and aid workers.

"The colleagues were killed while operating one of the very few remaining health posts still functional in the camp," Nkweta-Salami said in a statement. "I strongly urge those committing such acts to immediately desist."

Relief International confirmed the deaths of its staff, describing the assault as a "targeted attack on all health infrastructure" in the region. The Sudanese Doctors’ Union identified six medical personnel among the victims, blaming the RSF for the "criminal and barbaric act."

Famine and Displacement Worsen Amid Ongoing Conflict

Zamzam, the first area in Sudan where famine was declared last year by a UN-backed assessment, houses over 700,000 displaced people. By December, famine had spread to Abu Shouk and Al Salam camps, with El-Fasher itself at risk by May.

The RSF denied responsibility for civilian deaths in Zamzam, dismissing activist-shared footage of the carnage as "fabricated." However, local advocacy groups reported renewed attacks on Saturday, with hours of heavy gunfire.

Since the war began in April 2023, tens of thousands have been killed and over 12 million displaced. Both sides face accusations of war crimes and violations of international law. Amnesty International recently accused the RSF of systematic sexual violence against women and girls as a tactic of war.

The conflict has created the world’s largest humanitarian crisis, leaving half of Sudan’s population—25 million people—facing extreme hunger.