The United Nations’ food agency says it has temporarily paused aid distribution in Sudan’s famine-hit Zamzam displacement camp of a half-million people as fighting intensifies between the country’s warring sides.

Intense fighting in Zamzam camp in Sudan’s North Darfur region has forced the UN World Food Programme (WFP) to temporarily pause the distribution of life-saving food and nutrition assistance in the famine-hit camp for displaced people. Over the past two weeks escalating violence left WFP’s partners with no choice but to evacuate staff for safety.

The World Food Programme, the largest provider of food aid in Sudan, said on Wednesday it was forced to pause food distributions in Sudan's famine-plagued Zamzam camp in North Darfur. The camp has been the target of repeated attacks by Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces who seek to uproot the army and allied forces from the region.