[1] Overview (Eric)
Conveying the scale of catastrophe in Sudan, the Kordofans and Darfur in particular, requires an increasingly strenuous rhetoric: we are on the verge of seeing hundreds of thousands of people die over the next year because of hunger, disease, lack of medicine and shelter—and the relentless violence of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), steadfastly supported in their genocidal insurrection by the United Arab Emirates at the direction of strongman Mohamed bin Zayed. Twenty-one members of the U.S. Senate have signed a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, demanding an end to military support for the UAE so long as it continues to support the RSF. But given the Trump administration’s perverse fascination with Emirati wealth and business opportunities, it is clear that Trump will do nothing for peace in Sudan, despite a promise in November 2025 to do precisely that.
No one in the Trump administration has called out the UAE, and without a U.S. lead, Europeans seem content to signal displeasure with the conspicuous and massive support provide to the RSF, but aren’t willing to take the lead in calling out the Emiratis for their complicity in genocide. This tterm is widely applicable in the wake of RSF predations, most notably in El Geneina and El Fasher, but El Obeid (North Kordofan) and its 500,000 people are presently in the crosshairs. This is clear to all who will look at the realities on the ground, but only unctuous handwringing has emerged to date.
The “Responsibility to Protect” died after the RSF onslaught last October in El Fasher, following a closely monitored year-and-a-half siege. Before, during, and after the assault we may be sure that tens of thousands died—and continue to die in the harsh, violent terrain of North Darfur.
To gain a larger sense of what confronts Sudan, we need only look at the most recent report from the Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWSNet), and its explicit famine warnings:
Compounding the problem is the slow collapse of Sudanese agricultural infrastructure, the late arriving seasonal rains (many of the crops planted will now not germinate), the skyrocketing price of fertilizer, as well as for fuel in remaining mechanized agriculture—consequences of the Trump administration’s war of choice against Iran. Climate change, along with this year’s El Niño weather pattern, are having devastating effects—perhaps most spectacularly in Europe and Canada, but most consequentially in Africa. It is a moment to recall Trump’s total rejection of the findings of climate science and his willingness to ignore even the most serious issues raised by accelerating changes around the world.
With this as the broadest context, we should not forget the devastating consequences of Trump’s decision to essentially destroy the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Programs that could be saving lives were ended; resources for some of the finest humanitarian projects in the world were precipitously cut off; and the universe of humanitarian resources contracted in ways that still leave huge holes in relief efforts.
A study by the distinguished British medical Journal The Lancet (Volume 406, Issue 10,500, p283 – 294 | July 19, 2025) reached an utterly shocking conclusion:
“…forecasting models predicted that the current steep [USAID] funding cuts could result in more than 14,051,750 (uncertainty interval 8,475 990 – 19,662,191) additional all-age deaths, including 4,537,157 (uncertainty interval 3,124 ,796 – 5,910,791) in children younger than age 5 years, by 2030.
Accepting the consequences of USAID cuts—however many deaths it results in—is simply shockingly cruel barbarism by the Trump administration. Coupled with its enabling of the UAE to pursue present genocidal policies with the RSF in Sudan, Trump has made the U.S. the most destructive and destabilizing force in the world today. The refusal to acknowledge climate change and the war of choice against Iran only make the national opprobrium greater.
[2] The local response of Team Zamzam:
This month Team Zamzam, operating in Bami Joura Refugee Camp (inside Chad, several kilometers to the southwest of Tiné), has produced two critically important assessments of the humanitarian situation in the region. The first is a needs assessment (below) that responded to some of the questions I thought most important to answer going forward. The second is an extraordinarily full report on the activities of Team Zamzam in recent weeks. The report deserves the closest reading, but I would highlight several items:
[a] “According to information gathered by the team, more than 90% of households are reportedly at risk of severe food insecurity, with children, women, older persons, and persons with disabilities among those particularly affected.” (In response to my query about the number of new arrivals, the Team responded: “between May 2025 and March 2026, weekly arrivals ranged from approximately 15,000 to 35,000 individuals during the peak of the displacement crisis.”
[b] “One of the Zamzam Team’s key activities is the provision of “Fak Al-Reeq” (فك الريق) assistance for children and newly arrived refugees.
“Fak Al-Reeq” is a Sudanese Arabic expression commonly associated with the first food or drink consumed after waking up, particularly breakfast. Within refugee and displacement settings, the expression has also come to represent an important form of initial food and reception support for newly arriving families who have fled conflict and devastation. From 25 July 2026 to the date of preparation of this report, the Team Zamzam provided this reception assistance to newly arrived refugees, reaching: 1,480 households, comprising 6,854 individuals.”
[c] With cholera spreading in many parts of Sudan, the condition of health services in the Chad/Darfur border area is of particular concern:
“Health conditions in many refugee and displacement camps continue to deteriorate, creating significant risks for residents, displaced persons, and refugees. There remains a shortage of humanitarian organizations providing adequate protection and health services. Many health facilities are either unavailable, severely limited, or unable to function adequately in areas hosting refugee and displaced populations.”
Again, the whole of this deeply impressive and detailed report from the Team may be found here and the Humanitarian Needs Assessment is directly below.
There are serious clouds on the fiscal horizon for Project Zamzam and the prospect of having to cut the budget for supplies will loom large after the rainy season. I urgently plead for your financial help in supporting this remarkable team of women, about to begin their seventh year of service to those most in need in Darfur. And I will take this opportunity to remind readers that there is absolutely no overhead for our project—none. 100% of all funds received go to the monthly budget for the salaries of the counselors and the supplies the assemble with a terrific sense of priorities and economies. Photographs of their work may be found here.
I will also take again the opportunity to I would 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.
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Humanitarian Needs Assessment – Bami Joura Refugee Camp, Chad
Questions posed to Team Zamzam, late July 2026
(translated by Gaffar Mohammud Saeneen)
Question 1: Refugee Influx and Population Movements
Response:
Following the expansion of the conflict in Darfur and the takeover of large parts of the region by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), particularly after the fall of El Fasher in October 2025, large-scale population displacement into eastern Chad significantly intensified. Refugees from across the Darfur region have continued to cross into Chad primarily through the Tina border crossing.
While precise population figures remain difficult to verify due to the fluid nature of cross-border movements, field observations indicate that between May 2025 and March 2026, weekly arrivals ranged from approximately 15,000 to 35,000 individuals during the peak of the displacement crisis.
Although the rate of arrivals has gradually declined, displacement remains ongoing. Current estimates suggest that approximately 5,000 refugees continue to enter Chad each week, highlighting the continued humanitarian impact of the conflict.
Question 2: Food Security and Humanitarian Assistance
Response:
At present, there is no regular, systematic, or officially coordinated food distribution programme implemented by United Nations agencies in Bami Joura Refugee Camp.
Food assistance is provided primarily through local charitable organizations, community initiatives, and humanitarian partners. However, available assistance remains extremely limited in both quantity and nutritional value. Food distributions generally consist of staple commodities such as sorghum or maize, lentils, salt, and vegetable oil.
Current food assistance is insufficient to meet minimum humanitarian standards or the nutritional needs of the refugee population. Based on local estimates, available food support covers less than 40% of household food requirements. There are currently no adequate contingency food stocks or emergency reserves available within the camp, increasing the risk of food insecurity as new arrivals continue.
Question 3: Nutritional Situation
Response:
Food insecurity has become one of the primary drivers of deteriorating health outcomes, social vulnerability, and psychological distress among refugee households, particularly children.
Community-based observations indicate that approximately two-thirds of refugee children are experiencing acute malnutrition, representing a critical public health concern and requiring urgent scale-up of nutrition screening, supplementary feeding, and therapeutic nutrition interventions.
Question 4: Health Services and Medical Needs
Response:
Healthcare services currently available in Bami Joura Refugee Camp are limited to basic primary healthcare and first aid. Existing services are severely under-resourced and meet only a small fraction of the population’s health needs, providing less than 25% of the required healthcare capacity.
Increasing population density has contributed to a growing burden of communicable diseases as well as chronic health conditions. Essential medical supplies remain critically inadequate, including severe shortages of oral rehydration salts (ORS), intravenous fluids, and other life-saving medicines and consumables.
In addition, more than two-thirds of refugee households lack adequate shelter, exposing vulnerable populations to adverse weather conditions and increasing the risk of disease transmission and other protection concerns.
Question 5: Shelter and Non-Food Item (NFI) Needs
Response:
The onset of the rainy season has significantly worsened living conditions within the camp. Most emergency shelters and tents had already deteriorated after prolonged exposure to extreme heat and solar radiation. Heavy rainfall and strong winds have subsequently caused widespread collapse of these structures, leaving many families without adequate protection.
There is an urgent need for emergency shelter assistance, including replacement tents, waterproof tarpaulins, shelter reinforcement materials, ropes, and other essential non-food items (NFIs).
During the previous month, Team Zamzam successfully distributed waterproof tarpaulins and emergency shelter materials to approximately 180 refugee households. In response to these efforts, several Sudanese diaspora charitable organizations mobilized additional support and supplied approximately 250 emergency tents.
Despite these interventions, humanitarian needs remain substantial, and a significant proportion of refugee families continue to live without safe or adequate shelter.
Question 6: Role of Team Zamzam
Response:
Team Zamzam is a well-established, community-led humanitarian initiative that plays a critical role in supporting vulnerable refugee populations in Bami Joura Refugee Camp.
The organization implements a range of community-based humanitarian interventions, including:
* Provision of a regular breakfast programme for children suffering from acute malnutrition.
* Psychosocial support and case assistance for survivors of conflict-related sexual violence and gender-based violence (GBV).
* Psychosocial support and advocacy for women living with obstetric fistula.
* Assistance and referrals for children with disabilities and other vulnerable individuals.
* Representation of refugee concerns and advocacy with humanitarian organizations, charitable associations, and relevant authorities.
In addition, Team Zamzam pioneered the establishment of a community kitchen initiative within the camp and led the creation of a coordination platform that brings together humanitarian organizations, volunteer groups, and charitable associations operating in the Tina border area.
As a trusted community-based organization, Team Zamzam serves as a key operational partner, helping bridge critical gaps in humanitarian service delivery while strengthening coordination and community engagement within the refugee response.