{"id":20120755,"date":"2025-09-14T10:13:00","date_gmt":"2025-09-14T08:13:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.dabangasudan.org\/?p=20120755"},"modified":"2025-09-16T19:30:56","modified_gmt":"2025-09-16T17:30:56","slug":"yale-hrl-no-safety-or-escape-for-civilians-in-north-darfur","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.dabangasudan.org\/en\/all-news\/article\/yale-hrl-no-safety-or-escape-for-civilians-in-north-darfur","title":{"rendered":"Yale HRL: \u2019No safety or escape for civilians in North Darfur\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In a recent report by the Yale School of Public Health\u2019s Humanitarian Research Lab (HRL) they warned that civilians in El Fasher \u201chave no safety in staying and no possibility of escape,\u201d after documenting mass bombardments, rising fatalities, and the near-complete siege of the North Darfur capital.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Between 30 August and 10 September,\u00a0satellite imagery confirmed<\/a>\u00a0more than 50 shelling incidents in\u00a0Abu Shouk camp<\/a>\u00a0for displaced people, including 22 strikes on Naivasha Market. HRL assessed that the true figure is \u201ca significant underestimate\u201d given the density of the camp.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\u00a0laboratory<\/a>\u00a0also tracked a surge in fatalities, identifying 190 new graves in Al Rahma Cemetery in less than six weeks, alongside 50 additional burials near the former UNAMID base.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Open-source reports cited at least 18 people killed by artillery on 1 September and dozens more on 3 September, while 150 civilians required medical attention for conflict-related injuries between 31 August and 3 September. Children are reported to be dying in shelters from acute watery diarrhoea and hunger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

RSF siege and atrocities<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The RSF has expanded its\u00a0earthen berms<\/a>\u00a0by seven kilometres since late August, leaving only two small gaps in a 38-kilometre ring now encircling El Fasher. HRL linked the siege to widespread reports of \u201cextrajudicial killings<\/a>, detentions, abductions, looting, and extortion.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Witnesses alleged RSF fighters kidnapped\u00a0women and girls<\/a>\u00a0from homes and camps, and in some cases forcibly drew blood from captives, with fatalities reported after release.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With food, medicine, and clean water running out, residents have been reduced to eating\u00a0ambaz<\/a>, animal fodder, which itself is nearly exhausted. \u201cPeople are starving from lack of food. Clean water is running out, if it has not already,\u201d the researchers wrote.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Civilian infrastructure destroyed<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Satellite evidence showed six destroyed military structures and damage to SAF facilities around El Fasher Airport, as well as bombardment of three mosques, the University of El Fasher, and the city\u2019s water treatment plant. Local emergency rooms estimate that 98 per cent of\u00a0clean water sources<\/a>\u00a0are now destroyed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018Time has now run out\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

After a year of warnings, the researchers said the situation has reached a breaking point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFor over a year, Yale HRL has been warning that time was running out for civilians in El Fasher. The mounting evidence of escalating fatalities, damage to what remains of El Fasher\u2019s\u00a0critical infrastructure<\/a>, and the city\u2019s steady encirclement\u2026 indicates that time has now run out,\u201d the report concluded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Read the full report here:\u00a0SPECIAL REPORT – No Safe Haven: Bombardment of Abu Shouk IDP Camp and El-Fasher\u2019s Increasing Berm Encirclement<\/a><\/p>\n