A recent airstrike by the Sudanese army on a displaced persons camp in the western Darfur region has reportedly resulted in the deaths of six civilians and left dozens more injured. The strike occurred early Monday morning at the Al-Hamidiyah camp, located near Zalingei, which is the capital of Central Darfur state. This information comes from Emergency Lawyers, a Sudanese legal advocacy group that has been monitoring the human rights situation amid the ongoing conflict.
The Al-Hamidiyah camp serves as a refuge for thousands of displaced individuals, predominantly women and children who have fled violence in Darfur. Many homes within the camp were destroyed by the shelling, leading to widespread damage and major concerns about the safety of residents who depend on the camp for essential aid.
Medical sources informed AFP that at least 15 injured persons were transported to Zalingei Hospital, with some reportedly in critical condition. The ramifications of such attacks have escalated, with rights groups indicating that nearly 700 civilians have lost their lives due to drone strikes carried out by both the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) since the conflict escalated in April 2023.
The conflict has triggered a humanitarian crisis of staggering proportions, claiming tens of thousands of lives and displacing more than 11 million people from their homes. The United Nations has highlighted this situation as the world’s largest crisis of displacement and hunger. Additionally, famine conditions were declared last year in El-Fasher, located in North Darfur, and in Kadugli in South Kordofan, with a UN-backed assessment warning that 20 more areas could soon be at risk of famine.
The ongoing violence and the humanitarian fallout continue to raise alarms both nationally and internationally, as people caught in the conflict face dire circumstances and inadequate resources amid escalating military actions.
