Fourteen women and eight men were reportedly robbed and whipped after receiving aid from the United Nations World Food Programme. Refugee Adam Mukhtar said that the assailants seized all property belonging to the victims immediately following distribution.
Some of those attacked fled to the border town of Umm Dafuq-Qabl and alerted local authorities to the brutal incident. The following day, a helicopter carrying Russian troops arrived and deployed to the area, signaling a rapid response to reports.
The attack follows protests by Sudanese refugees over exclusion from food rations in the Birao camp, activists said. Aid distribution did not reach approximately 11 of the 22 centres in the camp, leaving thousands without critical supplies.
Birao camp currently shelters around 18,000 Sudanese refugees who fled conflict between the General Abdel Fattah al Burhan’s army and Rapid Support Forces since April 2023. Among them are refugees from the Central African Republic who had returned to Birao, seeking safety from ongoing fighting.
Tensions in the camp have heightened as residents demand consistent aid, while security forces attempt to restore order in the volatile region. The incident underscores persistent risks facing displaced populations reliant on international aid amid regional instability and violence.
