Monthly report on Team Zamzam’s activities, late September – October 2024
From the Coordinating Counselor of Team Zamzam
(Translated by Gaffar Mohammud Saeneen)
October 26, 2024
This monthly report comes at a time when the security situation has become unstable and extremely dangerous throughout Darfur. North Darfur and West Darfur in particular are experiencing continuing waves of displacement due to ongoing attacks on unarmed citizens in their villages, far from the theater of military operations.
This depressing and frightening security situation coincides with a worsening of an already catastrophic humanitarian situation, one that the country has never before witnessed. This has resulted in an accelerating pace of painful deaths from disease and malnutrition.
Currently most of Darfur’s regions and major cities suffer from a severe shortage of food and medicine, the direct result of ongoing war and its effects on citizens. For two consecutive agricultural seasons, North Darfur and its capital, El Fasher, have seen serious failure, which inevitably has a huge effect on Zamzam IDP camp.
The long, deliberate, and stifling siege imposed on El Fasher by the highly aggressive Rapid Support Forces (RSF). has led to the closing of all commercial routes to and from the state capital. And this is in addition to the non-stop violent artillery shelling that has created panic in the midst of the densely populated population. (Most of this population has sought refuge from many parts of Darfur.)
Despite the ongoing tragedy, the increase in painful deaths among the children, the outbreaks of diseases, and the shortages of food supplies and medicine, the resilient people of the besieged city are holding firm in their solidarity. If it were not for their solidarity and strong cohesion, the city would have fallen under the onslaught of the barbaric RSF. But the collective determination of the people has revived the spirit and the hopes of the entire Sudanese people.
The catastrophic humanitarian situation and the increasing death rate
With the continuation of fierce fighting in the area around El Fasher and other areas in the north and west of Darfur, the prospect of any humanitarian relief reaching the besieged city El Fasher and its surrounding IDP camps has become gloomier than ever. During the past six months, the inhabitants of this stubborn and resilient city have endured immense hardships, including mass destruction of their homes, the destruction of their hospitals, and the destruction of their water sources. They have seen their fellow townsmen killed before their very eyes, as well as the ongoing death of their infants because of acute malnutrition. Too many of the injured that cannot be assisted medically because of the RSF’s deliberate halting of supplies and humanitarian aid from coming into the city.
But despite these tragedies, they have refused to give in. El Fasher of Al Sultan, or El Fasher Abu Zakariya, as its people call it, is a city that defied the aggressors—and the cynics—in one of the most heroic moments in the history of Sudan. The world has taken note with admiration, winning many hearts throughout the world.
The current war began on April 15. 2023, has brought to El Fasher many displaced people from all parts of Darfur and some parts of Sudan; they have made it the second largest city in Sudan after Khartoum. Accelerating deterioration in the humanitarian situation of El Fasher has seen the depletion of remaining reserves of food and medicine. As the population has tripled, basic necessities have been exhausted; the number of deaths from acute malnutrition has steadily increased by at least threefold, especially among children.
Despite the misery and suffering that have befallen the city’s inhabitants and those of the IDP amps, the resilient people of besieged city El Fasher have managed to get through these difficult times thanks to their strong solidarity, social cohesion and the strong sense of attachment to their heroic city.
This senseless war, which ruined the lives of countless ordinary people, has also turned the city into rubble—a destruction that no one has ever witnessed before. But all this has brought the people of El Fasher together in common cause, sharing a common fate. This war had transformed the entire society onto an equal footing, and today it is almost impossible to differentiate between middle class city inhabitants and those living in IDP camps. Today, almost all of the residents of El Fasher and the surrounding camps are in desperate need of food and medicine—more than ever before.
Compounding the problem for the population is an extreme scarcity of cash. There is a significant segment of the population in the city of El Fasher that depends on aid from their families abroad; but the scarcity of cash in most parts of Sudan has complicated all our problems badly. There are also continuing complaints about the exploitation by traders of those who depend on cash sent in through the banking system.
The living situation inside shelter centers for displaced
The displaced people of Zamzam camp are facing immense challenges and difficulties that have been continuous from the beginning of their displacement. Challenges and difficulties continue to increase because of the closing of roads, and inability of humanitarian and international organizations and charitable groups to provide relief and assistance. Simple aid and assistance from local charitable organizations is not enough for the displaced. In the absence of international organizations, most of the displaced have become completely dependent on autumn vegetables. The sad reality is that most of the displaced people have become beggars in the markets, especially children; they beg until they find a small portion to eat, although most of the markets have closed their doors because of the artillery shelling.
Depressing security situation
What we are seeing is a continuation of the. RSF’s abhorrent, finally genocidal crimes, as well as the forced displacement that has defined the RSF (Janjaweed) militia since 2003. Recently, the RSF militia attacked the area of Inka north of Kutum (North Darfur), killing civilians, plundering property and livestock, and effectively changing the demography of the region.
According to eyewitnesses from those areas, more than 17 villages were burned and more than 30,000 people were displaced and then trapped in valleys where humanitarian conditions are desperate. The number killed or were wounded was more than 2,000 unarmed citizens; this includes children, the elderly, and women. These most recently displaced are now seeking shade from the sky and sleeping on the ground in valleys and deserts without shelter.
The villages that were burned are:
Hilla Jira
Hilla, Oumada Abu Asho
Hilla Bager
Hilla Mitty
Hilla Zeal Youssif
Hilla Shaikh Abdullah Muhammad Hassan
Hilla Shaikh Mousa Muhammad Ahmed
Hilla Jayo Biey
Berdik villages
Also, a group of 17 villages north of Kutum around the Desa and Bir Mazza areas were burned, and all citizens’ property, including livestock and foodstocks, was looted.
Names of the burned villages:
Madrassa (A) a qur’anic school
Madrassa (B)
Hilla Abu Zakaria
Hilla Abu Musa
Hilla Haroun
Hilla Amou
Hilla Adam Hamdoun
Hilla Abu Jumah
Hilla Muhammad Abuti
Hilla Kalmit
Hilla Qasoub
Hilla Adbo
Hilla Ishaq Taher
Hilla Idris Daqo
Hilla Sidiq Bora
Hilla Abdullah Abkar
Mass feeding program and its benefits for populations suffering from acute malnutrition:
At the end of August 2024, after the fighting intensified in El Fasher and the worsening humanitarian situation coincided with the scarcity of food supplies, Team Zamzam decided to establish a collective kitchen program, which contributed significantly to alleviating the suffering of thousands of families.
Under the supervision of team Zamzam, with the assistance of its volunteers, and in coordination with the Shelter Centers Committee for the Displaced, and in the presence of the coordinator of the Humanitarian Aid Commission in Zamzam and the Head of the emergency committee of Zamzam camp, on September 24, 26, 29, and October 1, a collective feeding kitchen program was organised for second consecutive month to feed more than 8,000 people with fresh food.
The following shelter centers were targeted for kitchen programs:
September 24: Salaam 20 shelter center.
September 26: Salaam 19 shelter center
September 29: Girls Secondary School (Tawila Neighborhood)
October 1: Boys secondary school
The total number of women and girls in 4 shelters: 2,812
The number of children under 12 in the five shelters: 4,870
The number of aging men and women in shelter centers: 831
The idea of a group kitchen is quite wonderful and gives people a well-organized lunch together to appreciate the importance of solidarity and togetherness in difficult times. These displaced people suffer from tremendous daily psychological pressure inside the shelter centres because of the shortage of food. They need such collective initiatives and actions on an ongoing basis in order to save themselves from the acute malnutrition in Zamzam.
Collective meal initiatives are very important to them, according to the surveys have been conducted. Today in Zamzam camp there are displaced people from many different directions and cities in Sudan: they have been displaced from Khartoum, Nyala, El Geneina, Zalingei, Al Kutum, Tawila, Al Kas, Kabkabiya, Abu Zureika, and the neighborhoods of El Fasher, Abuja, Abu Shuk, and Shaghil Tobay. Suffering experienced by the displaced people inside the shelter centers is especially intense: hunger, thirst, chronic diseases, and cases of acute malnutrition for children, the elderly, and the disabled. Among them are widows, orphans and those without income and parents.
Inside all the shelter centers that were targeted during the past month, each center contains rooms with six or four classrooms. During the rainy season each family goes inside, but there is not enough room for them because of the lack of tents and tarpaulins to protect them. There are a number of mobile rooms but unfortunately they do not have tarpaulins. The displaced people found inside the shelter centers suffer greatly from many disasters caused by torrents and floods. A number of children are transferred outside the shelter centers to safe sites, especially children with chronic diseases and the elderly, who cannot bear the cold and rain.
There is simply not enough room in the shelters.
Testimonies of beneficiaries:
Sheikh Dawud Musa said:
“I am very happy with such collective initiatives and collective kitchens. People are in dire need, and tragedy occurs inside the shelter centers and the displaced people are suffering severely. There are many cases of malnutrition and deaths inside the shelter centers. Around 85 cases of acute malnutrition in the five shelter centers in less than one week. This includes widows, orphans, people with disabilities, and breastfeeding mothers. All this is a result of the lack of food, medicine, clothing, water, and shelter tents in the temporary centers.
“The children are transferred to health centers but when they are discharged from the hospital and returned to the shelter center, the child becomes malnourished again due to the lack of food and medicine.”
One of the women of Zamzam camp said:
“We appeal to the government, state security agencies, and international, regional and local organizations to help us get through this difficult period. People here need additional mobile rooms and potable water. We call on local charities to hear our weak voices, with the need for urgent international humanitarian intervention to rescue the displaced, provide treatment and care, and open security corridors to deliver aid and relief for the displaced. There is famine in Darfur, especially in the areas which were made vulnerable because of the absence of humanitarian aid.
For his part, Oumda Haroun Nimr said:
“Many families inside shelters suffer from very poor conditions. They cannot afford a meal per day. They sometimes rely on the spirit of cooperation among themselves.”
An urgent demands for the shelter centers:
Urgent need to provide food supplies, complete food baskets and more group kitchens
An urgent need of household items such as blankets, mattresses, clothes, water jugs, and tarpaulins, which are very important to relieve pressure of winter
An urgent need for tools and the means to ensure hygiene and environmental sanitation, such as vacuums, quarks, disinfectants, and soap
An urgent need to increase the number of toilets, bathrooms and showers, even if temporarily.
Total work carried out by Team Zamzam end of September to end of October:
Group feeding kitchens were organised on four different locations within the camp to provide fresh meals for total of 8,500 people
Distribution of basic necessities composed of sugar, rice and red lentils
An additional 1,823 individuals, consisting of 410 families, benefited from this month’s distribution of aid
A total 22 inspection visit were carried out to evaluate the living and the health situation within the shelter centers
A total of 58 victims of sexual violence, mostly young girls age between 14 – 28, received counselling sessions
Eight meetings were held with different groups of youth, women, neighborhood representatives, and notables of civil society, where they all praised the important humanitarian role played by the counselors of Team Zamzam and its volunteers, and they affirmed their unlimited support for Team Zamzam.