MSF warns that “thousands” of children could die in the coming weeks in a displaced persons camp in Darfur

September 13 (EUROPA PRESS) –

The food situation in the Zamzan camp for displaced people in Darfur is “catastrophic” and “thousands” of children could die in the coming weeks, according to the NGO Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), which has called on its partners to consider even airdropping aid if ground access is not guaranteed.

A nutritional screening carried out last week revealed that 10.1 percent of children under five are suffering from severe acute malnutrition. “We are talking about thousands of children who will die in the coming weeks if the right decisions are not taken,” said Michel Olivier Lacharité, MSF’s emergency coordinator in Sudan.

Furthermore, 34.6 percent of them are at risk of suffering from the worst form of malnutrition if they do not receive timely care, in a context where the situation shows no signs of improving. The camp is already home to between 300,000 and 500,000 people, many of whom have had to move several times.

“We urgently need solutions that will allow humanitarian aid and essential goods to reach Zamzam immediately,” he said, in a message addressed to the UN and all international actors seeking through negotiations to ensure that aid flows into a country marked by conflict.

In April 2023, war broke out between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). This militia controls most of the roads leading to Zamzan and the camp has barely received any therapeutic food, medicines and essential supplies since fighting around El Fasher intensified in May.