In April 2025, one of the worst humanitarian calamities in Sudan’s recent history unfolded in North Darfur. The Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a prominent paramilitary group involved in the ongoing Sudanese conflict, launched a devastating assault on Zamzam Camp — a major refuge for internally displaced persons (IDPs). This unprovoked attack triggered a mass exodus of civilians toward the nearby town of Tawila, drastically worsening an already volatile humanitarian situation and throwing international aid agencies into crisis mode.
The Tragedy at Zamzam: A Brutal Assault on the Vulnerable
Zamzam Camp, situated roughly 15 kilometers south of El Fasher, was home to over 700,000 people who had already been displaced by conflict in other parts of the country. Most of the residents were women, children, and elderly individuals, relying heavily on international aid for food, water, and healthcare. These civilians had fled their homes in past years seeking shelter, only to be attacked once more.
Between April 11 and 13, 2025, the RSF began an intense and coordinated offensive on the camp. Using heavy artillery, drones, and ground troops, they launched a multi-pronged attack. Witnesses reported the use of incendiary weapons, indiscriminate shelling, and looting of medical facilities and food warehouses. Satellite images verified extensive fire damage and destruction of shelters.
The attack left an estimated 400 people dead — including children, pregnant women, and the elderly — and wounded hundreds more. The chaos, combined with limited access to medical care and secure passage, turned Zamzam into a death trap. Families were forced to abandon their loved ones and flee on foot, hoping to survive the onslaught.
Tawila: A Town Under Siege by Circumstance
As the RSF advanced and the scale of the violence became clear, more than 400,000 people fled the camp. A significant number of these individuals — around 50,000 — made their way to Tawila, a small town already struggling with its own fragile economy and infrastructure.
Tawila’s pre-crisis population was just over 20,000. Overnight, that number more than tripled. Schools were turned into makeshift shelters, open fields became tented camps, and homes were overcrowded with extended families and strangers alike. Clean water was scarce. Food distribution, which had been irregular even before the crisis, completely collapsed under the pressure.
Local officials described the situation as “untenable,” as sanitation systems failed and the threat of disease loomed large. Cholera, measles, and acute respiratory infections began spreading within days, affecting both IDPs and host residents. Clinics were overwhelmed, and there were not enough medical supplies or staff to meet the demand.
MSF and Other Humanitarian Efforts: Pushed to the Limit
Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders), already present in the region, responded immediately with emergency teams. They set up trauma centers in Tawila and surrounding areas, distributed hygiene kits, provided clean drinking water, and launched vaccination campaigns. But their reach was limited.
Road access was cut off in several areas due to security threats. Convoys carrying critical medical and food supplies were delayed or blocked by armed groups. The local airstrip in El Fasher was rendered inoperable after a drone strike, further limiting humanitarian movement.
Other NGOs and UN agencies reported similar challenges. The World Food Programme (WFP) stated that its warehouses in Zamzam had been looted or destroyed. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) declared that at least 75% of their operational capacity in the region had been compromised. Despite these difficulties, aid workers continued working tirelessly to reach those most in need.
The Suffering of the Displaced
The stories emerging from Tawila are harrowing. Mothers carry malnourished children on their backs as they line up for a cup of porridge. Grandparents share tattered blankets with strangers in the cold night air. Adolescent girls speak of narrowly escaping violence, and many women report sexual violence during their journey.
One survivor, Amina, a 34-year-old mother of three, said she watched her husband and father get shot as they tried to shield her and the children from gunfire. “I couldn’t even cry,” she said. “We just ran. I didn’t look back.”
Mental health has become a growing concern. Trauma, depression, and grief are rampant, yet psychological support remains limited. The absence of safe spaces for children is another major issue — many have been separated from their families or orphaned, adding to the burden on overstretched humanitarian groups.
The Geopolitical Implications and International Outcry
The RSF’s actions have drawn sharp condemnation from the international community. Human rights groups have labeled the attack on Zamzam Camp a war crime and called for urgent investigations by the International Criminal Court (ICC). The United Nations has held emergency meetings, and several countries have urged for an arms embargo on RSF-aligned militias.
However, global response remains slow and fractured. While the European Union has pledged $30 million in humanitarian aid, and several countries have offered logistical support, no significant military or diplomatic pressure has yet been exerted to stop the RSF’s advance or ensure access for relief agencies.
The Sudanese transitional government, struggling to maintain its own authority, has called the RSF’s actions “rogue behavior” but has little control over territories in Darfur. The chaos reflects the broader instability that continues to plague Sudan, more than four years after the fall of former president Omar al-Bashir.
What Needs to Happen Now
The situation in Tawila is a ticking time bomb. Without urgent international intervention, both humanitarian and political, the death toll will continue to rise. Humanitarian organizations have laid out several key demands:
- Ceasefire and Safe Corridors: Immediate cessation of hostilities in and around humanitarian zones, including safe passage for aid convoys and displaced persons.
- Restoration of Supply Chains: Immediate restoration and protection of supply routes to allow food, water, and medical aid to flow into Tawila and other affected areas.
- Increased Funding: More financial and logistical support from donor countries to meet the skyrocketing needs of displaced populations.
- Accountability Mechanisms: Independent investigations into war crimes and crimes against humanity to hold perpetrators accountable and deter further atrocities.
- Long-Term Strategy: A sustainable political solution to the conflict, including peace negotiations and protection for all civilians.
A Test of Global Conscience
Tawila is not just a town overwhelmed by refugees; it is a symbol of the immense suffering of Sudan’s civilian population, caught between warring factions and abandoned by the world. The events following the RSF’s forced exodus from Zamzam Camp are a stark reminder that humanitarian crises are not just about numbers — they are about lives interrupted, families torn apart, and a future jeopardized.
The next few weeks will be critical. As aid agencies scramble to scale up operations, international actors must decide whether they will stand idly by or step up to protect the innocent. For the people of Tawila — and the hundreds of thousands forced from Zamzam — time is running out.
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Sudan Humanitarian Access Snapshot – April 2025: A Crisis at the Crossroads
