Sudan’s RSF Attacks Leave Over 100 Dead

Sudan’s RSF Attacks Leave Over 100 Dead \ Newslooks \ Washington DC \ Mary Sidiqi \ Evening Edition \ Paramilitary forces in Sudan launched deadly attacks on famine-stricken displacement camps in Darfur. More than 100 people, including 20 children and nine aid workers, were killed. The UN condemned the assault as a brutal escalation in a devastating civil war.

Quick Looks

• Over 100 people killed, including 20 children and nine aid workers.
• Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and allied militias attacked Zamzam and Abu Shorouk camps.
• The assaults occurred over two days near el-Fasher, capital of North Darfur.
• Nine aid workers were killed while operating a health clinic in Zamzam camp.
• Relief International confirms the targeted destruction of its medical infrastructure.
• Six medical workers, including a physician and regional head, were among the dead.
• 700,000+ displaced people live in the two camps targeted by the RSF.
• The conflict has displaced millions and pushed 25 million Sudanese to hunger.
• The Sudanese military controls Khartoum, but RSF dominates most of Darfur.
• UN condemns the attacks as a grave violation of humanitarian law.

Deep Look

Sudan’s spiraling civil war reached a gruesome milestone this weekend as the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and allied militias launched coordinated attacks on famine-stricken displacement camps in the Darfur region, killing more than 100 people, including children and humanitarian workers. The United Nations described the violence as an “unacceptable escalation” and a violation of international humanitarian law.

The two-day assault targeted Zamzam and Abu Shorouk camps, along with parts of el-Fasher, the provincial capital of North Darfur, currently held by the Sudanese military. The RSF, a feared paramilitary group once backed by the government, has emerged as one of the most brutal actors in a war that has already killed over 24,000 people, according to UN estimates. Civilian groups suggest the true death toll may be significantly higher.

Healthcare Workers Executed Amid Humanitarian Collapse

Among the dead were nine aid workers, including six with Relief International, a global humanitarian organization providing vital medical services in the region. The health clinic in Zamzam was one of the last functioning facilities in the camp. According to Sudan’s Doctors’ Union, those killed included Dr. Mahmoud Babaker Idris, a physician, and Adam Babaker Abdallah, who led the Relief International regional office.

“This was a targeted attack on all health infrastructure in the region,” Relief International said in a statement. The group confirmed the destruction of its clinic, the central market, and hundreds of makeshift homes in the camp.

UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator Clementine Nkweta-Salami mourned the loss, stating:

“This represents yet another deadly and unacceptable escalation in a series of brutal attacks on displaced people and aid workers in Sudan since the onset of this conflict nearly two years ago.”

Mass Displacement and the Shadow of Famine

The attacks forced at least 2,400 people to flee from the camps and surrounding areas, according to the General Coordination for Displaced Persons and Refugees, a local advocacy group. The displacement adds to the already overwhelming humanitarian crisis, with Zamzam and Abu Shorouk camps sheltering more than 700,000 people who had previously fled violence in other parts of Darfur.

These camps are among the five locations in Sudan where famine has officially been detected, according to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC). With the country gripped by violence, a shattered economy, and climate-driven displacement, over 25 million people — half of Sudan’s population — now face acute food insecurity.

Sudan’s War: Military vs. Militia

The ongoing civil war erupted in April 2022, following a breakdown in the power-sharing agreement between Sudan’s army and the RSF, a heavily armed paramilitary force with deep roots in the previous regime. The conflict has fragmented the country, with the RSF taking control of most of Darfur and parts of the central and western regions.

While the military recently regained control over Khartoum, the symbolic capital, the RSF has entrenched itself across the countryside, often allying with local militias to dominate territory through terror tactics. Reports of massacres, ethnic cleansing, and targeted killings have become increasingly frequent in areas under RSF influence.

The RSF is also accused of looting humanitarian warehouses, attacking health centers, and forcibly recruiting young men from camps like Zamzam — all of which may amount to war crimes, according to human rights observers.

A War Against Civilians

What makes this latest attack especially harrowing is its deliberate targeting of the most vulnerable: displaced families already on the brink of starvation. Humanitarian experts say the assault on health workers and infrastructure was not incidental but strategically designed to break the back of relief operations in Darfur.

The UN, international NGOs, and local civil society leaders have repeatedly warned that without secure humanitarian access, hundreds of thousands are at risk of dying from starvation, disease, or future violence.

“The international community must act now,” said one Sudanese aid official speaking anonymously. “Darfur is becoming a graveyard for the innocent, and no one is watching.”

What Happens Next?

The international response has been muted. UN appeals for Sudan remain drastically underfunded, and access for humanitarian convoys remains highly restricted. Human rights groups are calling for:

• Immediate ceasefires around humanitarian zones.
• Accountability mechanisms for RSF war crimes.
• Increased pressure on regional actors supporting either side in the war.
• Safe corridors for civilians and aid groups.

But without diplomatic momentum or security guarantees, aid organizations are pulling back, fearing further attacks. If current trends continue, Sudan could face a full-blown famine on a scale not seen in decades.

In the meantime, the survivors of Zamzam and Abu Shorouk must flee once again — not for the first time, and possibly not the last — into a country unraveling by the day.

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Sudan’s RSF Attacks