UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 26 (Xinhua) -- Violence in and around Zamzam camp, the famine-struck displacement camp in Sudan, as well as in the capital of Khartoum and southern region, has further intensified recently, a senior UN official said on Wednesday, calling for international efforts to protect civilians.
Satellite imagery confirms the use of heavy weaponry in and around Zamzam camp in recent weeks, and the destruction of the main market facilities there, Edem Wosornu, director of Operations and Advocacy at the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), told the UN Security Council.
"Terrified civilians, including humanitarian workers, were unable to leave the area when the fighting was most intense. Many were killed, including at least two humanitarian workers," she said.
It is estimated that about 500,000 displaced civilians are living in Zamzam camp, where famine conditions was confirmed by global experts last August.
The escalating violence has forced the World Food Programme (WFP) to halt food assistance operation in the famine-struck camp, Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for the UN secretary-general, confirmed.
"Intense shelling in North Darfur's Zamzam camp -- the only place in the world where famine is confirmed -- is disrupting the distribution of WFP food assistance and putting civilians and aid workers at risk," the WFP said in a statement on Wednesday.
The agency warned that without immediate assistance, thousands could starve in the coming weeks.
Earlier this week, the non-governmental medical aid group, Doctors Without Borders (MSF), announced the suspension of all its activities in the famine-struck camp due to security situation.
Wosornu said that in southern Sudan, there are reports of fighting spreading into new areas in North Kordofan and South Kordofan states, increasing risks for civilians and hindering movements of humanitarians and supplies. In the capital of Khartoum, civilians also continue to be directly impacted by ongoing fierce fighting.
Sudan has been gripped by a devastating conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) since mid-April 2023, which claimed over 29,000 lives, according to a crisis monitoring group.
The conflict has also displaced over 15 million people, either inside or outside Sudan, according to estimates by the International Organization for Migration.
"Nearly two years of relentless conflict in Sudan have inflicted immense suffering and turned parts of the country into a hellscape," Wosornu said.
She called on the 15-member council to take immediate action to ensure better protection for Sudanese civilians together with unhindered humanitarian access.
The scale of needs in Sudan is unprecedented and requires an equally unprecedented mobilization of international support, she highlighted. ■
