Satellite images indicate that Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) are violating international laws by deliberately targeting civilians in the besieged city of El-Fasher, actions that Yale University's research team describes as potential war crimes. Caitlin Howarth from Yale's Humanitarian Research Lab noted, We're looking at the growth of an entire new burial area with over 60 new mounds that have been built in just a two-week period. Amid the RSF's military actions, a complete blockade has left residents trapped with diminishing supplies of food.
According to a statement from a local resistance committee, There is nothing left to eat today - all food supplies have run out, highlighting the dire conditions as even alternative means of survival have evaporated. The RSF's actions have cultivated a humanitarian crisis, endangered by the completion of a 57km earthen wall around the city.
El-Fasher has been under siege for 18 months with confirmed reports of violence targeting non-Arab ethnic groups. The communication shutdown complicates the verification of information from the city. With an estimated 300,000 civilians remaining, the resistance committee emphasized the urgency of breaking the siege, as there are no humanitarian airlifts or relief efforts in sight.
The siege has forced community kitchens to cease operations, and reports indicate that even smuggled supplies have vanished from local markets. As conditions worsen, the RSF’s strategies include arson and house-to-house clearance, confining civilians to smaller areas that are increasingly vulnerable to bombardment.
High-profile satellite images reveal significant damage to vital infrastructure, such as mosques and hospitals, exacerbating the crisis. Yale researchers highlighted attacks on shelters, resulting in numerous casualties in a short period, and stressed that these actions could categorize as war crimes.
Calls for an immediate ceasefire have been made, demanding safe passage for civilians to escape El-Fasher without fear, as well as unimpeded access for humanitarian aid. Analysts suggest the international community must respond quickly to this escalating humanitarian nightmare in Sudan.
