Doctors Without Borders on Monday halted its operations in Sudan's famine-stricken Zamzam camp due to an escalation of attacks and fighting in the vicinity.
The international medical aid group, also known by its French name Medecins Sans Frontieres and acronym MSF, said fighting between the Sudanese military and its rival paramilitary the Rapid Support Forces intensified in the camp, located in North Darfur.
The escalation made it "impossible" for the group to provide life-saving humanitarian needs to thousands of displaced people in the area, it said in a statement, adding it had suspended all activities in Zamzam, including at its field hospital. "Halting our project in the midst of a worsening disaster in Zamzam is a heart-breaking decision," said Yahya Kalilah, the group's head of mission in Sudan.
Kalilah said that being close to violence, experiencing great difficulty in sending supplies, dealing with the "impossibility" of sending experienced staff, and the uncertainty around routes out of the camp, left MSF with "little choice." Sudan plunged into war when fighting began in April 2023 between the military and the RSF after simmering tensions.
