Press conference at the Palais des Nations on the humanitarian crisis in Sudan

The ongoing violence has increased the risks women and girls face, with increasing reports of conflict-related sexual violence, exploitation and abuse, especially in Khartoum, Darfur and Kordofan.

The nearly 5.8 million internally displaced women and girls are particularly vulnerable, with many cases of abuse going unreported due to a lack of adequate support and fear of stigmatization and retaliation.

Meanwhile, women and girls also eat the least and last: 64 percent of female-headed households experience food insecurity, compared to 48 percent of male-headed households in ten states.

Access to health care is another problem: 1.63 million women and girls of childbearing age do not have adequate services. Among them are more than 160,000 pregnant women, and an estimated 54,000 deliveries are expected in the next three months.

It’s the terrifying reality of many women, like the 26-year-old woman we spoke to while compiling this report. Driven from Omdurman to Atbara, she has shared her harrowing experience of fleeing violence while four months pregnant amid constant threats of murder and rape. Now a refugee in her own country, she describes the severe psychological toll the conflict has taken and calls for urgent psychological support, protection for herself and her baby, and an end to the war.

Women and girls in Sudan face unimaginable challenges, but their strength and resilience continue to inspire us. Now more than ever, the international community must work together to support women in Sudan and ensure they have the resources and protection they need to survive and rebuild their lives.

UN Women supports emerging community initiatives, in partnership with women-led organizations, aimed at mentoring women and building their resilience.

We urge the international community, donors and humanitarian partners to prioritize the protection and empowerment of Sudanese women and girls, including by increasing funding for local women-led organizations, which only 1.63 percent of funding from the Sudan Humanitarian Fund in 2023. UN Women stands with the people of Sudan during this worsening humanitarian crisis and calls for an immediate end to the war and a return to the negotiating table for a peace dialogue.

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