GENEVA

Tens of thousands of people have been forced to flee a camp for internally displaced persons in Zamzam in Sudan's North Darfur state since Sunday amid an increase in violence and insecurity, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said Tuesday.

According to the IOM’s Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM), initial reports indicated that between 60,000 and 80,000 households were displaced on Sunday and Monday.

Most remain within the Al Fasher locality, while others have fled to the Tawila and Dar As Salam areas, it added.

The IOM stressed that these figures are preliminary, and the situation remains "tense and highly fluid," with ongoing displacement and shifting dynamics on the ground.

The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) began its latest offensive on El Fasher on May 10, 2024, despite international warnings over renewed violence in the city, which serves as a vital humanitarian hub for all five states in Darfur.

Since April 15, 2023, the RSF has been battling the Sudanese army for control of the country, resulting in thousands of deaths and one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.