The situation in Sudan’s Abu Shouk camp has reached catastrophic levels as the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) continue to shell the overcrowded displacement camp, home to nearly half a million people, despite the growing humanitarian crisis. On March 5, RSF artillery struck the camp, further damaging vital infrastructure, including medical facilities, water sources, and shelters. This attack follows a deadly assault on March 4, which claimed the lives of over 80 people, mostly women, children, and the elderly.
Since the start of March, at least 28 people have died from shelling, and the escalating violence leaves many with severe injuries and little access to medical care. This comes after the RSF’s bombing of the only operational hospital in El Fasher in January, which killed 70 people. Adam Rojal, spokesperson for the General Coordination of Darfur Displaced People and Refugees, emphasized that the attacks on the camp are part of a larger pattern, with over 30 bombings since the war began between Sudan’s Armed Forces (SAF) and the RSF.
The situation is exacerbated by a severe shortage of food and medicine, worsened by the siege of El Fasher, which has cut off the city and its IDP camps from much-needed aid. The famine in the region has reached critical levels, with the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) declaring famine conditions in camps like Zamzam and Abu Shouk. As of 2025, more than 14 million people have been displaced due to the conflict, making it the world’s largest displacement crisis.
The use of starvation as a weapon of war has been a horrific tactic by both warring factions. Rojal stated that both the SAF and the RSF are intentionally targeting civilian areas to starve the displaced and silence witnesses to past war crimes. Amid constant bombardment and a collapsed healthcare system, the displaced people of Abu Shouk are facing what Rojal describes as “inevitable death,” with little international support or intervention.
Sudan North Darfur Soldier Picture on rawpixel.com
