Paramilitary raid on Sudan displacement camp leaves 14 dead

At least 14 people lost their lives on Wednesday after Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) shelled a famine-stricken displacement camp in Darfur, volunteer rescuers reported.

The assault struck both a market and nearby residential sections within the Abu Shouk camp.

According to the local Emergency Response Room one of many aid groups operating across Sudan since the conflict erupted in April 2023 between the national army and the RSF the attack caused significant devastation in an area already struggling with severe food insecurity.

The rescue team reported that the "heavy artillery shelling" resulted in 14 fatalities and left numerous others injured.

Abu Shouk, located near El-Fasher the capital of North Darfur state provides refuge to tens of thousands displaced by both past Darfur conflicts and the ongoing war.

After losing control of Khartoum in March, the RSF has escalated attacks on El-Fasher, the last Darfur state capital held by the army, as well as on surrounding camps like Abu Shouk.

On May 18, the Abu Shouk Emergency Response Room reported another attack on the camp, also attributed to the RSF, which left 14 people dead.

Since the conflict started, it has claimed tens of thousands of lives, displaced 13 million people, and triggered the world’s largest hunger and displacement crisis.

The war has effectively divided Sudan into two zones: the army controls the central, northern, and eastern regions, while the RSF and its allies hold nearly all of Darfur and parts of the south.