Dire Straits: Famine and Floods Devastate Darfur's Displacement Camps

A famine-stricken camp in Sudan's Darfur region faces a new influx of displaced people and risks of disease due to floods contaminating water and sanitation facilities. The Yale Humanitarian Research Lab's findings highlight dire conditions at the Zamzam camp, where aid has been obstructed amidst ongoing conflict.

A famine-stricken camp in Sudan's conflict-torn Darfur region is facing a significant new influx of displaced people, while floods threaten to contaminate water and sanitation facilities, according to satellite imagery published Friday.

The Yale Humanitarian Research Lab found that toilets and nine out of 13 water points at the Zamzam camp for internally displaced people (IDPs) in North Darfur have been inundated. This raises the risk of cholera and other diseases in an area already grappling with extreme malnutrition. The camp, hosting about 500,000 people, has grown more crowded as recent fighting between Sudan's army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has forced more people to flee.

The images analyzed by Yale researchers show brown floodwaters submerging outdoor toilets and areas where people queue for water. "We need water, food, healthcare, and for God to lift this curse from Sudan, nothing more than that," said Duria Abdelrahman, who told Reuters she had received no aid since arriving in the camp. Women were seen cleaning leaves to eat.

(With inputs from agencies.)