Sudanese people are resorting to eating leaves and charcoal to survive after fleeing an attack on a camp for displaced individuals near el-Fasher, according to the Norwegian Refugee Council. Noah Taylor, the agency’s head of operations, shared these harrowing accounts on the BBC’s Newsday programme.
As people flee el-Fasher for Tawila, many are dying “on arrival,” Taylor noted. He reported that some are “dying of thirst” while making the arduous 40km (25-mile) journey from Zamzam camp in “blistering” temperatures. He mentioned that there are still bodies on the road between el-Fasher and Tawila.
One particularly tragic story involved a girl who walked alone from el-Fasher, was repeatedly raped during her journey, and ultimately died from her wounds upon reaching Tawila.
El-Fasher is currently the last city in Sudan’s western Darfur region under army control. Earlier this month, the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) attacked the nearby Zamzam camp, displacing tens of thousands of residents. Many of these individuals had been living in the camp for two decades, having fled previous conflicts in Darfur.
The RSF has been in conflict with the army for the past two years, resulting in tens of thousands of deaths and forcing approximately 13 million people from their homes. Aid agencies have described the situation as the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.
Following the RSF attack, the Zamzam camp was “completely destroyed,” stated North Darfur Health Minister Ibrahim Khater. Taylor warned that Tawila is struggling to cope with the large influx of displaced individuals, noting, “There is very little in the way of food, there is very little in the way of water,” while the small town currently shelters around 130,000 to 150,000 people.
Last week, fleeing residents from Zamzam recounted their harrowing experiences, including homes being burned and being shot at. The RSF acknowledged the attack on the camp but denied committing any atrocities.
Source: BBC
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