Sudan accuses paramilitary RSF of causing famine in Darfur camp

August 3, 2024 (PORT SUDAN) – Sudan’s foreign ministry on Saturday accused the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of causing a famine in a displacement camp in Darfur by besieging the regional capital and blocking aid.

The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), a group of U.N. and other aid agencies, on Aug. 1 declared a famine in the Zamzam camp, which houses nearly half a million people displaced by conflict in North Darfur state.

The foreign ministry said in a statement the RSF, which has been fighting Sudan’s army since April, was responsible for “the spread of hunger in Zamzam camp, as part of its starvation strategy”.

The RSF did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

U.N. agencies have called the military-led government to open a border crossing with Chad to allow aid trucks to reach Darfur. Sudan’s government has rejected the request, saying the border could be used to supply the RSF with weapons.

The RSF has besieged El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, since April, as part of its attempt to seize control of the city. Fighting in El Fasher has killed more than 1,000 people and displaced over 500,000, according to the U.N.

On Aug. 1, medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières accused the RSF of detaining trucks carrying supplies to El Fasher.

The foreign ministry also said the RSF had defied U.N. Security Council resolution 2736, which called for an end to the violence in Darfur, by continuing to attack hospitals, camps, and public facilities. The statement further called for a “firm international stance” against the RSF.