Femena expresses deep concern over the ongoing conflict in Sudan, which has produced one of the worst humanitarian crises globally. The current war erupted in Khartoum on 15 April 2023, resulting from the power struggle between the two main factions of the military regime—the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). New estimates suggest that up to 150,000 people have been killed, millions have been displaced, and food insecurity and disease have become widespread. While all segments of the population have suffered the impacts of war, women, girls, and children more broadly, are particularly affected. Displacement, food insecurity, and disease have taken a hefty toll on the lives of children. The ongoing violence, particularly in Khartoum, Darfur, and Kordofan, has heightened the risks faced by women and girls, with increased reports of conflict-related sexual and gender-based violence. Recent reports on the systemic use of rape and enslavement show that women are paying the highest price as rape is used as a weapon of war in this conflict.
Even before the current conflict, Sudan was among the countries with the highest number of internally displaced persons, as well as a significant source country for refugees, due to decades of civil war and authoritarian rule. As a result of the current conflict, it is estimated that at least 10.4 million people have been displaced––over half of whom are children. Over two million people of the displaced population have fled to neighboring countries. More than half of Sudan’s population—almost 26 million people—are facing food insecurity, with 8.5 million considered to be at emergency levels. An estimated 16 million children are experiencing critical levels of food insecurity. Furthermore, around 19 million children are out of school and the vast majority of schools remain closed, including nearly 75 percent of school-aged girls, which consequently places them at higher risk of child and forced marriage as well as domestic violence.
Women have been particularly impacted by hunger, as women-headed households experience higher levels of food insecurity compared to male-headed ones. Gender-based structural inequalities around property ownership, access to finance, and limited social and institutional support have further constrained women’s ability to mitigate food insecurity. Moreover, approximately 1.63 million women of reproductive age currently don’t have access to adequate healthcare services, and of this population, over 160,000 are pregnant, and an estimated 54,000 childbirths are soon expected. Pregnant and breastfeeding mothers are experiencing serious levels of malnutrition. Women and girls are also particularly impacted by the limited access to clean water, sanitation, and menstrual hygiene products. Moreover, Femena is deeply alarmed by reports indicating that refugee women and girls have been sexually exploited by humanitarian workers and local security forces in exchange for money and easier access to assistance needed for survival. While this is not the first conflict in which such exploitation has been reported, it is simply unconscionable that persons in such positions of power continue to abuse women who are already extremely vulnerable.
According to the Independent International Fact Finding Mission for the Sudan, sexual and gender-based crimes are widespread in conflict-affected regions. While all parties to the conflict have committed violations, reports of crimes perpetrated by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and those of RSF-allied forces are higher. Men and boys have also been subjected to sexual violence but women and girls are disproportionately affected. Reports indicate that victims often experience beatings, lashes, and threats of harm to relatives and children before being subjected to rape. Furthermore, WHRDs, journalists, and medical officers were also targets of sexual violence as a form of retribution. The impacts of SGBV are multi-layered and encompass both physical as well as psychosocial consequences—with reports of concerning trends of suicidal thoughts and attempts amongst survivors of sexual violence. In October 2024, several women took their lives in Sudan’s central Gezira state after being subjected to rape by the RSF.
Femena is deeply concerned about the continued fighting across Sudan, the widespread and indiscriminate attacks against the civilian population, and the particular impact on vulnerable communities, including women, girls, and children. It is especially tragic that this conflict – a result of the breakdown of the uneasy and opportunistic alliance between the RSF and the SAF – follows what had been a peaceful, popular protest that led to the ouster of long-time dictator Omar Al Bashir. We urge all parties to the conflict to uphold international humanitarian and human rights laws immediately. Given that this conflict is fueled and prolonged by the continued flow of weapons to both sides, all states and corporate actors supplying these weapons must cease the sale of arms and ammunition to Sudan.
We call on the international community to press for de-escalation and an eventual ceasefire. We are deeply troubled Russia’s recent veto of a ceasefire resolution at the UN Security Council. After more than a year of brutal violence, there must be an end to hostilities and an eventual mediation process that works towards a sustainable and just political solution––allowing for an investigation into war crimes and other atrocities, and where perpetrators of mass atrocities from all parties to the conflict are held accountable. We demand that there be safe and unhindered access to humanitarian aid in all parts of Sudan and that cross-border and crossline humanitarian aid be prioritized.
Most importantly, we urge the international community to comprehensively support grassroots women-led organizations that are currently playing a critical role as frontline responders and who are attending to the basic needs of women and girls. This support includes the provision of funds, technical assistance, amplification of the voices and perspectives of the WHRDs, especially in international policy fora, and inclusion of WHRDs in international spaces where the situation of Sudan, including peace negotiations, is being discussed.