Thousands Flee North Darfur Amid Rising Violence
In a devastating turn of events, thousands of families have been forced to leave their homes in Saloma village, located in North Darfur, Sudan. The United Nations reported on Monday that the mass displacement occurred following a violent attack attributed to the paramilitary group, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). An estimated 8,000 households have abandoned the area, which lies just south of the state capital, El-Fasher, over the weekend.
The RSF launched its assault on Saloma on Friday, according to Ahmed Rejal, a spokesperson for the Darfur General Coordination of Camps for the Displaced and Refugees. Since April 2023, the RSF has been embroiled in conflict with the Sudanese army and has seized control of nearly all of Darfur, isolating El-Fasher, which has been besieged since May. Recently, RSF has intensified its attacks near El-Fasher, targeting displacement camps suffering from famine and clashing with militias aligned with the army.
Destruction and Humanitarian Crisis in Saloma
Reports from Saloma indicate that many homes were set ablaze during the violent clashes. The ongoing conflict in the region has had catastrophic effects, leading to the deaths of tens of thousands and displacing approximately 12 million people across Sudan. In North Darfur alone, 1.7 million individuals are currently displaced, with another two million facing acute food insecurity.
The situation is dire, particularly in the displacement camps surrounding El-Fasher. Camps such as Zamzam, Abu Shouk, and Al-Salam are already experiencing famine conditions. Alarmingly, these conditions are expected to extend to five more areas, including El-Fasher itself, by May, further exacerbating the humanitarian crisis in the region.
