Yale University Laboratory: Burning of Zamzam IDPs Camp for Displaced People was deliberate, Fire Still Ablaze
Sudanhorizon – Mohamed Osman Adam
The Humanitarian Research Laboratory (HRL) at the Yale School of Public Health has prepared a documented scientific report in which it described the attacks that took place on the Zamzam camp and its surroundings as a “deliberate setting ablaze” of the camp, which hosts displaced people from various parts of North Darfur state, and that committing this arson and closing the exits before those attempting to flee, especially the young people, from leaving and preventing humanitarian aid from arriving, are all aimed to empty the camp and then prepare for the attack on the city of Al Fashir, which has been subjected to successive attacks since 2024.
The report says that according to the study of photos and coordinates, the Rapid Support Militia collected more than 400-armed combat vehicles and surrounded the camp from its four sides, and that the purpose of which is not only to kill the displaced and fleeing the camp, but also to prepare for an attack on the city of Al Fashir, which appears to have aided the support militia forces.
The Humanitarian Research Laboratory of the Yale School of Public Health published a summary of its study under the title (Emergency situation related to human security: the continuation of arson attacks by the Rapid Support Forces and the increase in military strike force at the Zamzam camp for displaced people) to confirm two things: the continuation of arson and the attempt to tighten the siege on Al Fashir and then finish it off as an ultimate goal. The study was supported by photos, maps, data and diagrams confirming that the Rapid Support Forces militia continues to break in and burn the Zamzam camp for displaced people through deliberate and systematic attacks.
The laboratory said that through the analysis of satellite imagery from April 16, 2025, multiple active fires were identified spread throughout the Zamzam IDP camp and Ammar Jaid, a camp located just northwest of Zamzam, adding: On April 16, 2025, newly active fires appeared between satellite images taken at 09:08 UTC and 12:08 UTC, indicating that “arson attacks are underway” in Zamzam, around the clock.
Analysis of satellite imagery from April 14 to 16, 2025 shows heat patches on an area of 0.536 square kilometers of Zamzam, in addition to approximately 1.183 square kilometers previously assessed as destroyed between April 11-14, 2025.
Between 11-16 April 2025, a total of 1,719 square kilometers of Zamzam were destroyed, equivalent to 24.21 record football stadiums. According to analysis of the Visible Infrared Radiometer (VIIRS) data group, active fires have been burning daily in the IDP camp since the start of the RSF offensive with the aim of fully capturing Zamzam – on 11 April 2025.
The Yale School’s Humanitarian Research Laboratory also notes the presence of RSF forces equivalent to a full infantry brigade in and around Zamzam. This includes approximately 350 cars in the Eastern Province and at least 50 cars in other areas of the camp. The RSF strength, which is based solely on the number of vehicles visible in satellite imagery, doubled, at least between April 11 and 16, 2025, the report says.
The majority of the cars shown in the satellite imagery appear to be equipped with mortar guns and are armed. This means that the presence of a force of the Rapid Support Militia armed of this size and proximity poses a significant and direct threat to Al Fashir, which has been under attack and siege by the RSF since at least May 2024.
This activity is consistent with the displacement of civilians from Zamzam through satellite imagery analysis from April 16, 2025, and supports reports reviewed by Yale school’s lab. Vehicles are stationed around the perimeter around Zamzam, including all four main access points to the camp, likely limiting the freedom of movement of civilians for those trying to flee.
The “sudanhorizon” news site indicates that the most important feature of this report is its reliance on concrete evidence and live images that document each piece of information, which also indicates that, as one of the American press reports said, a person who owns a laptop, and a reasonable speed Internet can follow the current events on the Zamzam camp in struggle.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported on 15 April 2025 that the RSF “is preventing those who remain inside, especially the youth, from leaving.” While the continuous blackout of communications has limited the flow of information coming from Zamzam.
Yale University’s Humanities Research Laboratory estimates that mass atrocities, including mass killings, torture and conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV), continue in Zamzam camp.
To reach these findings, Yale University’s Humanities Research Laboratory used data integration methodologies to analyze remote sensing and open-source data. Yale University’s Humanities Research Laboratory produced the report through the mutual affirmation of open-source data, including social media, local news reports, multimedia, other reports, and remote sensing data, including satellite imagery and thermal sensor data. The researchers analyzed open-source data via social media, news reports and other publicly available sources to identify, identify, and verify incidents.
Analysts assess the credibility and reliability of open-source data based on the level of detail of sources, their previous credibility and confirmation of other independent sources. Remote sensing and satellite image analysis is based on multi-time change detection, which involves comparing two or more satellite images of the same area taken at different times to reveal differences in color, optical properties, and the presence, absence or reposition of objects across images.
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