North Darfur IDP camp questions neutrality of proposed UN aid hubs
April 22, 2025(EL FASHER, Sudan) – Leadership at the Zamzam camp for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in North Darfur voiced reservations Tuesday over a UN proposal to establish aid distribution points near El Fasher, citing concerns about neutrality and safety.
The proposal, presented to the Sudanese Army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), suggests establishing logistics bases in Mellit and Tawila to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid to civilians besieged in the state capital, El Fasher.
Sudan’s ruling Sovereign Council announced on Monday that it had approved the UN request, following a phone call between Council President Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and UN Assistant Secretary-General Tom Fletcher.
However, Zamzam camp spokesperson Mohammed Khamis Doda said the chosen locations, particularly Tawila, are problematic. “[We question] the proposed areas… especially those controlled by warring parties, such as Tawila, currently held by the Sudan Liberation Movement faction led by Abdel Wahid al-Nur (SLM-AW),” Doda stated.
He elaborated that areas under the control of de facto authorities are subject to rules that cannot guarantee neutral aid distribution amid the ongoing conflict. Doda cited security concerns, pointing to movement restrictions imposed on IDPs and “strict policies that could undermine the dignity” of aid recipients.
The spokesperson also accused the SLM-AW faction in Tawila of imposing “fees and taxes of up to 20%” on humanitarian aid deliveries, reducing the amount reaching those in need.
Furthermore, he noted that Mellit, north of El Fasher, is fully controlled by the RSF, raising similar concerns about neutrality and fairness in aid distribution.
The RSF has blockaded El Fasher for the past year, preventing goods and relief supplies from entering. The siege has tightened in recent months, accompanied by ongoing RSF shelling of the city and the nearby Abu Shouk IDP camp using artillery and drones.
Instead of the proposed locations, Doda suggested designating Zamzam camp itself as a neutral, demilitarised humanitarian hub managed directly by the UN and international aid organisations.
He urged that Zamzam be declared a “demilitarised zone,” requiring all parties to keep military and security forces out to ensure a safe environment for IDPS. Doda also called for the temporary relocation of willing IDPs from conflict-affected areas like El Fasher and Tawila to Zamzam, where aid could be provided fairly.
To ensure impartiality, Doda demanded that a neutral committee oversee aid distribution, comprising representatives from the UN, aid agencies, and IDP groups, alongside independent local figures unaffiliated with any warring party.
The concerns arise after the RSF seized control of Zamzam camp, 12 km (7.5 miles) southwest of El Fasher, on April 12. According to reports cited by camp representatives, the attack involved widespread abuses against thousands of IDPs and forced over 400,000 people to flee towards Tawila town.