(Eric) This month’s update has been compressed here because of both unhappy medical circumstances and computer difficulties. This is unfortunate, as the situation in North Darfur—including the Tina/Tiné (Chad) region where Team Zamzam works—continues to suffer on an enormous scale, with a great loss of life and rapidly increasing morbidity. I rehearse in an exceedingly grim ANNEX here some of the most recent and compelling conclusions reached by the international humanitarian community, which has a woefully inadequate presence on the ground anywhere in Darfur. (A devastating assessment of the health systems and resources in Sudan and other African countries by MSF points squarely to the consequences of the Trump administration’s destruction of USAID.)
A brief report from the coordinating counselor of Team Zamzam for the period December 15, 2025 – January 15, 2026 appears as another ANNEX/2.
(THE END OF THIS UPDATE OFFERS A WAY TO HELP WITH FUTURE WORK)
The highlights of the work from this period include:
Provision of food:
- Fresh meals were provided to 516 families.
- Regular breakfast was served to 2,421 children under the age of 18.
- In addition, 104 of the most vulnerable families received food packages consisting of red lentils, sugar, flour, and laundry soap.
Counseling for Survivors of Sexual Violence
Individual and group counseling sessions for survivors of sexual violence continued throughout the reporting period, with a notable increase in attendance. Recent cases indicate that many survivors have suffered not only severe psychological trauma but also physical injuries, with visible scars observed on their bodies.
The sharp rise in counseling attendance is closely linked to the escalation of violence since April 2025. The counseling program has provided a safe space for survivors to come forward and share their experiences with Team Zamzam counselors. Survivors reported extremely distressing accounts, including prolonged detention under inhumane conditions by RSF and allied groups. In several cases, survivors were released only after their families paid ransom.
Gaffar estimates on the basis of conversations with several members of Team Zamzam that during this reporting period there were:
• 45 individual counseling sessions
• 18 group counseling sessions.
The security situation on the ground in North Darfur
Team Zamzam provides an accurate summary of what we know:
The security situation in the northern parts of North Darfur has been catastrophic over the past two months. The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and allied militias have intensified attacks on the area known as Dar Zaghawa, targeting unarmed civilians through repeated and brutal assaults. These attacks have forced large numbers of civilians to flee their homes, seeking refuge in valleys, forests, and mountainous areas, while many crossed the border into Chad.
The violence has not been confined to Sudanese territory. Tiné, Chad, which hosts a significant number of Sudanese refugees, has also been affected. RSF reportedly used unmanned drones to terrorize the town, including areas hosting refugee shelters. This cross-border insecurity has heightened fear among both refugees and host communities and further complicated humanitarian access.
In a notable cross-border attack by the RSF earlier this month, seven Chadian soldiers were killed, escalating fears both in the refugee camps in Chad and those Sudanese who remain in Darfur. RSF drone attacks in the area known as Dar Zaghawa have targeted Kornoi (including its hospital), Um Baru, as well as Tina/Tiné; these drones, provided by the United Arab Emirates, have become increasingly powerful, sophisticated in guidance, and indiscriminate in deployment. Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) reported this past November that dozens of civilians had been wounded in drone attacks at the time.
This was part of a larger offensive by the RSF, reported by Sudan Tribune on January 10, 2026:
On December 24, the RSF and its allies in the Sudan Founding Coalition (Tasis) launched a major military operation in the northwestern areas of North Darfur. They briefly seized control of Abu Qamra, Ambru, and Karnoi before retreating under heavy drone strikes from the army. The offensive was accompanied by reports of widespread violations by RSF elements, including looting, arrests, and ethnic-based killings targeting thousands of civilians…
RSF attacks on the Tina, Ambru, and Karnoi localities in North Darfur, areas primarily inhabited by the Zaghawa ethnic group, have displaced thousands. Reports indicate civilians have fled to valleys and caves under harsh conditions, while RSF forces allegedly looted markets and hospitals.
Such violence, along with the obstructionism of the regime led by the General al-Burhan and the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF), have made it impossible for the international community to deploy the humanitarian resources available, even as those resources are woefully inadequate (see the first ANNEX).
These are the circumstances in which Team Zamzam continues its heroic work, constrained only by our project’s financial limitations. So I’ll take this opportunity to remind our supporters that it is now possible to make a tax-deductible contribution to our project, using a portal on the website of a 501/c/3 organization operating in Sudan. Operation Broken Silence, our fiscal partner, works primarily on health and education issues in the Nuba Mountains of South Kordofan; OBS has created a special site for tax-deductible contributions to our project, and we hope this makes contributing to the health and well-being of the people served by Team Zamzam easier for donors.
