US condemns RSF attacks on Zamzam IDP camp in Sudan

December 5, 2024 (WASHINGTON) – The United States on Thursday condemned attacks by Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on the Zamzam camp for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Darfur, where shelling this week killed at least eight people and injured many more.

“The United States condemns in the strongest terms the Rapid Support Forces’ (RSF) attacks this week on the Zamzam internally displaced persons (IDP) camp in Darfur, Sudan,” State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a statement.

The attacks disrupted humanitarian aid deliveries to the camp, where more than half a million people have sought refuge, and famine has been declared.

The United States called on the RSF, the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), and aligned forces to halt all military activity in and around Zamzam and other IDP camps.

“To further ensure the protection of civilians in camps, including Zamzam, we urge the warring parties to maintain and respect the camps’ civilian and humanitarian character, including keeping them free of combatants and military fortification,” Miller said.

The statement noted that over 25 million people in Sudan – approximately half the population – are in desperate need of emergency assistance, and more than 12 million people have been displaced from their homes since the conflict began in April.

The United States called on all parties to the conflict to guarantee safe and unhindered humanitarian access to all parts of Sudan.

“The only durable resolution to Sudan’s humanitarian crisis is an immediate cessation of hostilities,” Miller said. “The United States remains firmly committed to supporting the Sudanese people as they seek an end to the conflict and a political transition to inclusive, civilian-led democratic governance.”