Residents of El-Fasher, a key city in Sudan’s Darfur region, are facing dire circumstances as food supplies have completely run out. A new report by Yale University’s Humanitarian Research Lab (HRL) indicates that the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), Sudan’s paramilitary group, are flouting international law by deliberately targeting civilians. Researchers have identified disturbing evidence, including the rapid expansion of a new burial area with over 60 new mounds appearing in just two weeks, suggesting significant civilian casualties.
The RSF has reportedly completed a 57km earthen wall around El-Fasher, effectively trapping its estimated 300,000 inhabitants. Local resistance committees describe a desperate situation where even basic survival alternatives, like peanut residue commonly fed to animals, are no longer available. Community kitchens providing meals to those in shelters have ceased operations, and all food items have vanished from shops, even those that previously relied on smuggled goods sold at exorbitant prices.
The conflict, which began in April 2023 between the military and the RSF, has seen repeated accusations of RSF fighters and allied militias targeting non-Arab ethnic groups. Recent analyses of satellite imagery have revealed “burn scars” on buildings, indicative of targeted attacks from air-deployed munitions, including drones and artillery. These attacks have reportedly resulted in people being burned alive inside their homes.
According to the HRL, over the past month alone, attacks on civilian infrastructure such as shelters, mosques, a hospital, and a market have resulted in at least 174 deaths and 123 injuries. The report emphasizes that these figures are likely an undercount, stating, “These actions are prima facie war crimes and may rise to the level of crimes against humanity.”
The situation is exacerbated by a communication blackout, making it challenging to verify information. However, ground sources and satellite data confirm the dire conditions. Experts are calling for an immediate cessation of hostilities, safe passage for civilians to leave El-Fasher without harassment or violence, and unimpeded access for humanitarian aid.