Floods and famine overwhelm Sudan's largest refugee camp

Sudan's largest refugee camp in North Darfur is facing a surge in new arrivals as floods and famine overwhelm its limited services, according to findings published by Yale’s Humanitarian Research Lab on Friday.

Researchers found that brown floodwaters have submerged "toilets and nine out of 13 water points" in the Zamzam camp, putting its population at high risk of cholera and other bacterial diseases.

Famine in Zamzam camp

An assessment from the global food monitoring organization indicates that the Zamzam camp, home to about 500,000 people, is experiencing famine. This is only the third such assessment since the Integrated Food Security Classification (IPC) was established two decades ago.

The IPC reports that Zamzam is one of 14 locations in Sudan where famine is likely.

“This is not just the situation in Zamzam, but the condition of all the other camps in Darfur—more than 171 camps suffering the same conditions,” said Adam Rojal, spokesman for the Displacement Camps Coordinating Committee, an activist network in Sudan.

Across Sudan, the ongoing war between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the rebel Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has displaced more than 10 million people, according to UN estimates.

While the Rapid Support Forces claim to stand in “full solidarity” with the people of Zamzam camp, aid workers report that both the RSF and government forces have impeded humanitarian efforts by blocking aid convoys or looting shipments.