{"id":20129636,"date":"2026-03-11T15:35:51","date_gmt":"2026-03-11T14:35:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.dabangasudan.org\/?p=20129636"},"modified":"2026-03-11T15:35:56","modified_gmt":"2026-03-11T14:35:56","slug":"yale-hrl-rsf-razed-north-darfur-farming-communities-to-induce-famine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.dabangasudan.org\/en\/all-news\/article\/yale-hrl-rsf-razed-north-darfur-farming-communities-to-induce-famine","title":{"rendered":"Yale HRL: \u2018RSF razed North Darfur farming communities to induce famine\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Researchers at Yale University say the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) deliberately burned down at least 41 rural farming communities north and west of North Darfur\u2019s capital of El Fasher between March 31 and June 12 2024, destroying key food sources supplying the city.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The findings<\/a>, published on Monday by the\u00a0Humanitarian Research Lab at the Yale School of Public Health<\/a>, support growing evidence that armed actors intentionally created famine conditions in North Darfur.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Using satellite thermal data from NASA, vegetation indices, and high-resolution imagery, researchers concluded with \u201chigh confidence\u201d that RSF forces carried out systematic arson attacks on predominantly Zaghawa farming communities. The attacks coincided with the tightening of the\u00a0RSF siege on El Fasher<\/a>\u00a0in April 2024.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Satellite image from 26 May 2024 showing vehicles consistent with RSF presence between the razed communities of Gileidit and Community 23, including a probable BTR light armoured vehicle and two support vehicles (Photo: Yale HRL)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Villages destroyed<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Satellite imagery shows that 68 per cent of the 41 destroyed villages now display no visible signs of human activity months after the attacks. Vegetation has begun overtaking abandoned homes, indicating the\u00a0absence of residents<\/a>\u00a0and livestock. Another 12 per cent of the villages show only limited signs of life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fire activity in the area surged by more than 330 per cent in 2024 compared to the previous five years, the researchers found. At the same time, cultivated land within two kilometres of the destroyed communities collapsed by 82 per cent, shrinking from an average of 7.16 square kilometres to just 1.25 square kilometres.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ten of the communities were attacked more than once, while one village was struck at least seven times during the study period.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Map showing repeated attacks on communities razed in North Darfur between 31 March and 12 June 2024. Ten communities were attacked more than once, with one village targeted at least seven times (Photo: Yale HRL)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Famine and siege<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The report notes that the destruction began weeks before the RSF launched its siege of El Fasher in April 2024. The siege lasted around 18 months and ended with the\u00a0RSF capturing the city<\/a>\u00a0in October 2025.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The United Nations Independent International Fact-Finding Mission later reported\u00a0mass killings<\/a>\u00a0in the area and warned of \u201cindicators of a\u00a0genocidal path<\/a>\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Researchers also noted that the RSF emerged from the Janjaweed militias that targeted many of the same communities during the Darfur conflict in the early 2000s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The report states that the pattern of attacks on farming communities \u201csupports reports of intentional starvation\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Satellites document destruction<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because humanitarian access to North Darfur remains severely restricted, the researchers relied on satellite data from NASA\u2019s VIIRS and MODIS sensors, Sentinel-2 vegetation monitoring, and high-resolution imagery from commercial providers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The report says remote sensing technology has become crucial for documenting abuses in areas inaccessible to aid workers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Famine Early Warning Systems Network had already warned of\u00a0famine conditions in El Fasher<\/a>\u00a0in June 2024. Yale researchers say their findings point to \u201csystematic attacks on objects necessary for the survival of civilian life\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Read the full report here:\u00a0The Impact of Systematic Razing of Agricultural Communities Around El-Fasher: A Remote Sensing Study<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n