More than 700 civilians have been killed in the besieged city of Al-Fashir, located in Sudan’s North Darfur state, since May, according to UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk. Calling the situation alarming, Turk urged the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) to lift their siege on the city.
“The relentless fighting is devastating lives every day on a massive scale,” Turk said in a statement. “This alarming situation cannot continue. The Rapid Support Forces must end this horrible siege.”
The UN rights office has documented at least 782 civilian deaths and over 1,143 injuries, attributing the casualties to continuous RSF shelling of densely populated areas and airstrikes by the Sudanese Armed Forces. Evidence for these figures is partly based on interviews with those who have fled the region.
Such actions may constitute war crimes, the UN said, though both the RSF and the Sudanese Armed Forces deny targeting civilians, instead accusing each other of such attacks.
The conflict between Sudan’s army and the RSF, which erupted in April 2023, has displaced more than 12 million people and created a dire humanitarian crisis. Al-Fashir has become a key battleground, with fears that an RSF victory could lead to ethnic retribution, echoing the violence seen in West Darfur last year.
The nearby Zamzam camp, housing over half a million people, has also been targeted by RSF artillery in recent weeks. The camp, already suffering from famine conditions, has seen thousands of residents flee due to renewed attacks.
The UN has repeatedly called for both sides to cease hostilities and protect civilian lives. However, with continued fighting and limited access to humanitarian aid, the situation remains dire.
