Youth Emergency Rooms Combat Famine in Darfurs Displacement Camps
Source: United Nations Website
Amid the ongoing war in Sudan, voluntary youth initiatives have emerged as a lifeline for thousands of displaced people facing famine and siege. Despite their limited resources and strong determination, these young people confront the horrors of war and its aftermath, providing food, water, medicine, medical aid, and shelter to the displaced.
On World Humanitarian Day, UN News spoke by phone and voice messages with members of the youth emergency rooms – supported by the United Nations – in Zamzam and Abu Shouk camps in North Darfur. The aim was to convey the situation on the ground, especially following the announcement of famine in Zamzam camp and warnings of similar conditions in the nearby Abu Shouk and Salaam camps.
Zamzam camp hosts displaced people from all five Darfur states, in addition to those fleeing conflict in Khartoum, which has significantly increased the camps population to nearly half a million people, according to aid agency statistics.
The camp has become a "miniature Darfur," according to Mubarak Mohammed Idris, a member of the Zamzam camp emergency room, who stated, "The emergency rooms emerged from suffering and became a bridge between organizations and those in need on the ground."
Communal Kitchens as a Tool Against Famine
Despite the difficult situation, relief organizations are unable to access these camps to provide much-needed aid. For this reason, the youth in the camp’s emergency room are providing food to the hungry. Mubarak Mohammed Idris explains:
"We have what is known as the communal kitchen, where we provide food around the clock for more than 46 shelters within the camp. This helps alleviate the suffering of the displaced due to the lack of food and the inability of families to feed themselves as they have nothing. Children spend the entire day without any food. Some families go for days without lighting a fire – they have no food to cook – which is why famine was declared in the camp. The camp is besieged, and families have nothing."
Water Shortages Exacerbate the Risks
Food scarcity isn’t the only challenge for the residents of Zamzam camp; the lack of drinking water adds another burden on the displaced.
Idris elaborates: "All the water wells went out of service due to a lack of fuel, as the area is besieged by Rapid Support Forces. Currently, only two of the eight wells in the camp are operational. We struggle to bring water to the camp amidst clashes and artillery shelling, as well as funding shortages. We bring in two water trucks containing 200 barrels of water and distribute it across 46 centers, but it’s not enough."
Promoting Solidarity and Cooperation Among the Displaced
The emergency rooms’ role extends beyond providing material aid, fostering solidarity among the displaced, offering shelter and clothing, and evacuating the injured from conflict zones. Idris states: "We work on providing tarpaulins and shelter supplies during the rainy season, in addition to insecticide spraying tools and mosquito nets. We also support victims of natural disasters like floods. In winter, we provide warm clothing for children."
Abu Shouk Camp: Another Model of Resilience Amid Hardship
Abu Shouk camp, just 22 kilometers from Zamzam camp, tells a similar story. Volunteers face the same challenges, offering similar services while expanding their work to include rehabilitating shelters damaged by floods, providing sanitary pads for girls, and working in environmental sanitation.
Mohammed Adam Abdel Latif, media representative of the Abu Shouk camp emergency room, says: "We used to receive support from various entities, including the Norwegian Refugee Council – a UN partner – which provided us with 5,000 to buy supplies for the communal kitchen. Through these kitchens, we provide food to shelters that have become entirely dependent on us. Recently, we stopped for over 20 days due to lack of support. We received aid from philanthropists and NGOs, including Saba, which helped us buy an ambulance. Many organizations have promised support, including providing ten communal kitchens."
Hungry Stomachs Await Food That Never Comes
Adam highlights rising food prices, forcing many to eat animal feed when available. He warns that "all famine indicators are very clear" within the camp, noting "numerous deaths" from hunger, especially among children, "and we can’t obtain therapeutic nutrition. We have two therapeutic feeding centers, but they were shelled by the Rapid Support Forces."
He also mentioned a rise in begging among desperate displaced persons and women resorting to prostitution to feed their children.
Most health centers have ceased operations due to artillery shelling. The only primary health care center suffers from severe shortages in medicines and medical supplies, especially for children under five, according to Adam. Additionally, recent floods have destroyed over 700 homes, he said.
A Call to the World
Despite the extensive efforts of the emergency rooms to assist the displaced, Adam says the situation "has gone beyond their control" due to the deteriorating situation and growing needs. He concluded with an appeal: "We at Abu Shouk camp have made numerous calls and continue to urge organizations and international bodies to provide services in any possible way. All roads leading to the camp are currently closed. We call for coordination with local entities in the camp to deliver aid to displaced children. Basic medical supplies like bandages and disinfectants are unavailable due to the high number of injuries."
An Urgent Call for Intervention to Save the Displaced
In addition to the emergency rooms, other organizations are stepping in to provide assistance, such as the Global Wadi Hur Organization for Relief and Development, "a national organization operating in North Darfur, especially in Zamzam camp," according to Anwar Khater, a member of the organization. He stated that the organization continues to provide water, food, and shelter materials to the displaced.
He explained that the siege of El Fasher city has caused great suffering as it hampers humanitarian aid from entering the state, adding that many humanitarian organizations have suspended their activities due to the deteriorating security situation.
Khater said that the worsening conditions in Zamzam camp require urgent international intervention to save the displaced, who he said are suffering severely from hunger and disease.
