73 Killed in artillery attacks on Zamzam camp

December 13, 2024 (EL FASHER) – The death toll from artillery attacks on a refugee camp in Sudan’s North Darfur has risen to 73, a local government official said on Friday, amid escalating violence between the army and rival paramilitary forces.

Ibrahim Khater, director general of the North Darfur health ministry, told Sudan Tribune that 458 people have also been wounded in the Zamzam camp and surrounding areas of El Fasher this month. The camp, which houses nearly a million displaced people, has been under fire since December 1.

The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) claimed the attacks were justified because fighters allied with the army were inside the camp. However, the camp residents deny the allegation.

Khater said 376 people were injured in the camp itself, including 261 men and 115 women. Fifty-seven people were killed in the camp between December 3-11, including 30 men, 27 women and 15 children.

Sixteen people were killed and 70 wounded in El Fasher on Thursday, Khater added.

He warned that the health situation in Zamzam camp is dire, with a severe shortage of medicines and medical supplies. The camp relies heavily on aid groups, including Relief International and Doctors Without Borders.

Zamzam has seen a large influx of people fleeing fighting that erupted in El Fasher in May between the army, allied militias, and the RSF.