UN documents at least 1,013 civilian deaths in Zamzam camp — Al Jazeera
At least 1,013 civilians were killed in the Sudanese camp for displaced people of Zamzam during a three-day attack by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) that began on April 11, 2025. Al Jazeera reports this, citing a report by the UN Human Rights Office.
According to the UN, 319 people were extrajudicially executed in homes, markets, schools, clinics and mosques. The report also documented rape, gang rape, sexual slavery and other forms of sexual violence, with members of the Zaghawa community particularly frequently targeted.
Siege and attack on the camp
Zamzam camp is located near El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur state. It was established in 2004 and became home to several generations of people displaced by the war in Darfur. Together with the Abu Shouk and Al Salam camps, it was part of one of the region's largest concentrations of internally displaced people.
The RSF seized Zamzam in April 2025 after months of attacks. Famine in the camp had been confirmed as early as August 2024. Survivor Mukhtar Musa said restrictions on bringing in goods had depleted food supplies, forcing some residents to eat animal feed and peanut shells.
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Another survivor, Umm Kulsum Ali Saleh, said that goods stopped reaching the camp during the RSF siege. According to her, she saw women cooking grass and mixing soil with flour to bake bread. During the offensive, RSF fighters reportedly set fire to straw homes and medical facilities.
Further attacks in Darfur
After Zamzam was seized, tens of thousands of people left the camp: some remained in the El Fasher area, while others headed south to Tawila and Dar as Salam. In August 2025, the RSF launched an offensive on El Fasher and soon seized the Abu Shouk camp.
The UN Human Rights Office reported that at least 40 displaced people were killed in Abu Shouk, while another 19 were injured. The International Organization for Migration then recorded the flight of at least 500 camp residents.
On October 26, 2025, the RSF seized El Fasher. Available estimates indicate that more than 6,000 people were killed during the attack on the city and along evacuation routes. The UN said RSF fighters attacked civilians, including members of non-Arab communities, and committed acts that may constitute war crimes. The RSF previously denied deliberately attacking civilians in Zamzam and El Fasher, while acknowledging that individual fighters committed abuses.
