A CRJ200 HOLDING FOR A GATE ON A CROWDED ATL RAMP WAS STRUCK ON A WING BY A VAN; CREATING TWO 10 INCH WING CUTS.

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WE LANDED ON RWY 27L IN ATL AFTER A DIVERSION BECAUSE OF WX IN ATL. TAXIING CLEAR OF THE RWY WE WERE TOLD TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 27R AND THAT IT WOULD BE SOME TIME BEFORE WE GOT CLRED TO THE RAMP. DUE TO THE WX THE RAMP WAS CONGESTED. THE RAMP WAS REFUSING ALL TFC. GND CLRED US TO THE RAMP AFTER APPROX 45 MINUTES. WE ENTERED THE RAMP SOUTH. WE SLOWLY TAXIED N TO THE GATE. NUMEROUS ACFT IN FRONT OF US WERE WAITING FOR GATES OR TO EXIT RAMP. IT TOOK APPROX 20 MINUTES TO REACH THE GATE. WE TAXIED UP TO THE GATE AND HELD SHORT OF THE ROAD WAITING FOR RAMP PERSONNEL TO MARSHALL US INTO THE SPOT. IT APPEARED THEY WERE GOING TO PARK US ON THE BOTTOM; ANGLED INTO THE SPOT. ANOTHER ACFT WAS PREPARING TO PUSH OFF THE TOP OF THE GATE TO OUR R. ITS BEACON WAS ON AND IT WAS HOOKED UP TO A TUG. WE WAITED APPROX 20 MINUTES FOR RAMP PERSONNEL. THE RAMP AGENTS PREPARING THE OTHER ACFT TO PUSH BEGAN TO SIGNAL US TO MOVE TO OUR R. IT APPEARED THEY WANTED US TO MOVE TO THE GATE. WE TURNED THE AIRPLANE TO THE R AND TAXIED APPROX 10 FT. WE WERE NOW BEHIND THE OTHER ACFT WAITING TO PUSH OFF THE TOP. WE COULD NOT TAXI STRAIGHT ANY FURTHER DUE TO ANOTHER ACFT ON THE TAXI LINE IN FRONT OF US. THEY WERE WAITING TO TAXI S ON THE RAMP. WE SET THE PARKING BRAKE WAITING FOR THE RAMP TO CLR SO WE COULD MANEUVER TO THE GATE. AFTER APPROX 10 MINUTES; WE FELT THE AIRPLANE SHAKE SIGNIFICANTLY. BOTH THE CAPT AND I THOUGHT WE WERE STRUCK BY A VEHICLE. HE SAW OUT HIS WINDOW THAT A VAN STRUCK OUR L WING AT THE WINGTIP. WE CALLED RAMP AND OPS FOR ASSISTANCE. THE CAPT SHUT DOWN THE #1 ENG. THE FLT ATTENDANT CHKED TO MAKE SURE THE PAX WERE NOT INJURED THEN LOOKED OUT THE WINDOW TO ENSURE THERE WAS NO FIRE. I THEN OPENED THE DOOR TO CHK THE OUTSIDE CONDITION OF THE ACFT AND THE CAPT SHUT DOWN THE OTHER ENG. THE VAN COLLIDED WITH OUR REAR L WING. THE VAN TORE TWO 10 INCH HOLES IN THE WING. THE VAN'S WINDSHIELD WAS SMASHED. RAMP MANAGERS AND SAFETY PERSONNEL CAME TO ASSIST. THEY DEPLANED THE PAX AND EVENTUALLY THE ACFT WAS TOWED. WE CALLED A CHIEF PLT AND DISPATCH. IT APPEARED THE VAN DRIVER DID NOT SEE THE AIRPLANE. THE RAMP WAS EXTREMELY CROWDED DUE TO ALL THE WX DELAYS. THE DRIVER SHOULD HAVE PAID BETTER ATTENTION TO HIS SURROUNDINGS. WE WERE IN THE SAME POSITION WITH THE PARKING BRAKE SET FOR APPROX 10 MINUTES WITH ALL THE APPROPRIATE LIGHTS. I THINK THE ATL RAMP IS CROWDED AND MARGINALLY SAFE. THE PARKING CONFIGURATION AND RAMP PERSONNEL ARE NOT IDEAL. I THINK INCIDENTS LIKE THIS WOULD NOT HAPPEN IF THERE WAS MORE ROOM ON THE RAMP AND INDIVIDUAL PARKING SPACES.