(Ambaze) Poisons Entire Family in El-Fashir Camp

 

Local sources in the Abu Shouk camp for internally displaced persons (IDPs) near El-Fashir, North Darfur, reported the death of an entire family, consisting of two grandmothers, three children, and their mother, after consuming food and drink from animal feed, known locally as “Ambaze.”

 

The family faced dire living conditions and a severe food shortage.

 

 

The neighbor who discovered the incident reported the incident to the emergency Chamber, but the victims could not be treated in time.

 

 

The initial list of names indicated the deaths of Hajja Mariam Tindel Suleiman, Hajja Saliha Suleiman Bedi, and their mother, Amani Fath Al-Rahman, in addition to the children Sabir, Saeed, and Sabry, the sons of Salim Mustafa.

 

 

Abu Shouk camp is one of the oldest and largest IDP camps in Darfur, established in 2004 on the outskirts of El-Fashir to accommodate the large waves of displacement resulting from the violence at that time.

 

 

For two decades, the camp has been a symbol of the suffering of civilians and IDPs in the region.

 

UN and academic reports have documented the harsh humanitarian conditions of its residents.

 

 

As the ongoing war intensifies, the camp and El-Fashir have been under a stifling siege imposed by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) since the spring of 2024. This has led to the disruption of supply routes, the lack of food and medicine, and a heightened risk of famine.

 

 

UN organizations and humanitarian agencies warned in reports issued this month that hundreds of thousands are stranded without adequate aid, and that relief convoys are unable to enter due to the lack of safe corridors.

 

 

Meanwhile, El-Fashir and Abu Shouk camp have witnessed repeated attacks and assaults by the militia, resulting in the deaths of at least 89 people in just ten days this August, including displaced persons who were summarily executed, according to international human rights reports.

 

 

In light of this harsh reality, civilians sometimes resort to consuming foodstuffs unfit for human consumption, such as animal feed, in search of sustenance.

 

Medical bodies have repeatedly warned that such feed may contain harmful substances or ingredients unfit for safe consumption, making it a threat to health and life.

 

 

Activists on social media believe that this tragedy reflects a broader picture of the suffering of the IDPs in Darfur; siege, starvation, and ongoing bloodshed amid international silence and an inability to reach those affected.

 

 

Activists assert that the humanitarian situation has reached a critical stage, requiring urgent intervention to ensure the protection of civilians and the opening of safe corridors for the delivery of aid.