Help Mercy Corps Support Those in Sudan

Intense bombardment by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of Sudan’s largest camp for internally displaced persons (IDPs) is devastating civilians and forcing aid workers to leave the site, INGOs working in Sudan warned today.

Zamzam camp, which currently hosts an estimated half a million displaced people, has been targeted by unprecedented RSF attacks over the last two days. Local responders in the camp report at least eight civilian deaths and multiple injuries. Many organisations have been forced to evacuate staff due to the unsafe conditions. 

Ongoing violence has come on top of significant access restrictions to the camp which have deprived people facing starvation of much needed humanitarian assistance. In August 2024, the Famine Review Committee of the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification confirmed famine conditions in Zamzam. INGOs and partners have been delivering assistance, but access has remained challenging and aid has not been possible at the scale needed.

In partnership with our humanitarian partners, Mercy Corps is providing cash assistance to internally displaced people in 9 states, including conflict-stricken regions like the Darfurs and South Kordofan, enabling them to buy essentials like food, water, medicine, and hygiene supplies while also supporting local markets amidst the ongoing conflict. Since April 2023, we have provided cash assistance to 13,000 households and 78,000 people.

We are promoting long-term community resilience and recovery, particularly through support for smallholder farmers to increase food production and linkages to existing markets. In the Gedaref and South Kordofan regions, we are supporting farmers with seeds and cash to ensure they have high-quality seeds and can plant in time for the crucial planting season.

In Central and South Darfur, we are distributing fresh food vouchers (FFV) to vulnerable populations, particularly pregnant and breastfeeding women and children under the age of two, to ensure access to a varied and nutritious diet and to promote proactive medical assistance when necessary.