Zamzam massacre in Sudan: United States want military operations around refugee camps to be halted

The United States has released an official statement, condemning in the strongest terms the attacks this week on the Zamzam internally displaced persons in Sudan.

According to the release from the US Department of State, the attacks launched by the Rapid Support Forces’ (RSF) targeted the Internally Displaced Persins (IDP) camp in Darfur, Sudan.

The reported Rapid Support Forces’ shelling resulted in the deaths of at least eight people and injuries to many more.

Tragically, the fighting also disrupted humanitarian organizations’ ability to deliver emergency relief supplies to the camp, where more than half a million people seek shelter and famine has been declared.

The United States called upon on the RSF, the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), and aligned forces to halt all military activity in and around Zamzam camp and other such camps where the Sudanese people have sought refuge from the horrific violence that has engulfed their country and produced the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.

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.

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.

The United States calls is therefore calling upon the RSF, the SAF, and all armed groups to take concrete steps guaranteeing safe and unhindered humanitarian access to all parts of Sudan, including by enabling humanitarian corridors to allow the safe, unhindered delivery of aid and movement of civilians.

The only durable resolution to Sudan’s humanitarian crisis is an immediate cessation of hostilities. 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.