Displaced residents of Zamzam Camp in North Darfur have condemned SAF leader, Lt Gen Abdelfattah El Burhan, for denying the existence of famine in the region, calling his statements a stark dismissal of their dire reality.
Adam Rijal, spokesperson for the General Coordination for Displaced Persons and Refugees, said famine conditions have gripped Zamzam Camp since August 2023 and are mirrored across 71 camps in Darfur. “People here are surviving on animal feed and tree leaves,” Rijal told Radio Dabanga, describing the harrowing conditions.
In a televised Independence Day address, General Burhan dismissed reports of famine in Darfur as “pure fabrication.” However, international assessments contradict his claims. North Darfur and South Kordofan were declared in Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) Phase 5—the most severe level of acute food insecurity—in July, with findings reaffirmed in December.
Rijal accused the SAF leader of perpetuating “the tactics of the former regime” and employing starvation as a weapon of war, which he described as a war crime. He also criticised army-controlled authorities in Port Sudan for blocking humanitarian aid, arguing their famine denial serves as justification for withholding relief.
Heavy rains have compounded the crisis by devastating crop yields, driving food prices beyond reach, and exacerbating shortages, Rijal said. He warned of a looming humanitarian catastrophe, with children, mothers, and the elderly at particular risk as malnutrition rates soar.
The crisis has been further worsened by the spread of diseases such as malaria and measles in vulnerable areas like Jebel Mara. Rijal called on international organisations to intensify emergency aid and medical services.
“We need immediate action to prevent a full-scale disaster,” Rijal said.
