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A large market for food and other supplies serving a camp for displaced people was partially destroyed in a fire on Wednesday, illustrating the devastating toll it has taken on Sudan’s most vulnerable citizens. The extent of the damage was seen in satellite imagery and social media videos analyzed by The New York Times, which found that the fire had destroyed or damaged about 18 hectares of the market.
Over the past week, Sudan has seen violence as the Army and a paramilitary group, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), vie for control of the country. Already, the Abu Shouk camp, located in El Fasher, the capital of the North Darfur region, is experiencing a shortage of supplies.
According to Thomas Okedi, regional manager for the Norwegian Refugee Council, the camp had not received any help in the week before the fire started. He blamed the current fighting and unrest for the fire, saying it started with stray bullets or looters setting fire to one of the shops, and then spread quickly through several makeshift structures.
Satellite images from Wednesday afternoon showed the fire still burning, with small shops on the east side of the market reduced to ashes, and flames engulfing other buildings.
A video shared on social media showed the fire, with the man who shot the video: “May God help us. The market is completely destroyed.” Another video, taken a few hours later, shows the remains of the shop and its smoking equipment.
“Currently, the Abu Shouk market is operating with very limited capacity,” Mr Okedi said. “With the reduction of food supplies and the cessation of humanitarian aid, the situation has become more difficult.”
Many humanitarian groups have suspended operations due to the fighting, and there are concerns about how people will gain access to food and water.
Fighting has been reported in El Fasher by Doctors Without Borders, which says it has treated nearly 300 wounded civilians, 44 of whom died of their injuries, in the city this week.
Nearly 900,000 displaced people lived in North Darfur before the current escalation of violence. Abu Shouk camp alone is home to more than 100,000 people, according to Mr. Okedi. Some of them were displaced due to the genocidal campaign in the early 2000s by the Sudanese Army and the so-called Janjaweed militia. The RSF grew out of the Janjaweed, and is now fighting its former ally, the Army.
Another food market, 100 miles south of El Fasher in the South Darfur capital, Nyala, caught fire on Sunday. Satellite imagery from April 20 shows the aftermath.
Some houses less than one kilometer from the market were also burnt. In addition, satellite imagery shows signs of looting in various parts of the city, and unknown security forces, including tanks, are positioned in residential areas.
At least 413 people have been killed and 3,551 others across the country have been injured in the violence, the World Health Organization reported on Friday.
Dmitry Khavin and James Surdam contributed to video production.
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