Hungry, scared Darfur civilians fear RSF attack, plead for army help

Sudanese civilians in North Darfur are starving as they fear an RSF invasion. Many are calling on the army for help.

Civilians in Sudan’s North Darfur’s capital, el-Fasher, and surrounding towns are starving.

The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have imposed a siege on them for about a year, yet they managed to forestall an invasion thanks to the Joint Forces – an array of local armed factions backed by the army.

The besieged civilians are now pleading for help, but some fear the army has neither the political will nor the capability to rescue civilians, say experts, local journalists and civilians.

The nearly 500,000 civilians in Zamzam camp – the largest refugee camp in North Darfur – are already suffering from famine, according to the United Nations global hunger monitor, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC).

Residents in Zamzam told Al Jazeera the army dropped some food aid from its warplanes earlier this week, but said supplies will run out in a few days.