Sudan’s humanitarian crisis is having a catastrophic impact on women and girls, with gender-based violence doubling

The number of people in need of services related to gender-based violence has increased by 100 percent since the start of the crisis, reaching 6.7 million in December 2023, and this figure is estimated to be even higher today. Although men and boys are also victims of gender-based violence, most of these cases involve women and girls. Ongoing violence, especially in Khartoum, Darfur and Kordofan, has increased the risks women and girls face, with increasing reports of conflict-related sexual violence, sexual exploitation and abuse. 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.

Sudan is facing the country’s worst ever acute food insecurity. With 64 percent of female-headed households experiencing food insecurity, compared to 48 percent of male-headed households in 10 states, women and girls eat the least and last. Access to health care is another challenge: 1.63 million women of childbearing age do not have adequate services. Among them, more than 160,000 are pregnant and an estimated 54,000 deliveries are expected in the next three months.

Women and girls also continue to be disproportionately affected by the lack of safe, easily accessible and affordable water, sanitation and hygiene. At least 80 percent of internally displaced women are unable to access clean water due to affordability, safety concerns and distance. Sudan’s education crisis is another devastating outcome of the conflict. More than 2.5 million girls, or 74 percent of school-aged girls, are currently out of school, increasing their risk of exposure to harmful practices such as child marriage and female genital mutilation.

“Women and girls in Sudan face unimaginable challenges, but their strength and resilience continue to inspire us. We cannot allow Sudan to become a forgotten crisis. 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,” said Hodan Addou, Acting Regional Director of the UN Office for Eastern and Southern Africa. .

Urgent action is needed to ensure the physical protection of women and girls, as well as safe access to food, safe water and sexual and reproductive health care. UN Women supports community initiatives, in partnership with women-led organizations, to build resilience and ensure access to crucial humanitarian services for women, men, girls and boys affected by the crisis. UN Women urges 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 the Sudan Humanitarian Fund’s funding by 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 peace dialogues.

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