UN Report Reveals Rampant Sexual Violence In Sudan Crisis

A Sudanese family who fled the conflict in Murnei in Sudan's Darfur region

The 18-month civil war in Sudan has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths and millions displaced, with catastrophic famine and diseases plaguing the nation. Despite being one of the worst crises globally, Sudan's plight is often overshadowed by conflicts in the Middle East.

A recent 80-page report from the United Nations Independent International Fact-Finding Mission for Sudan has revealed the alarming prevalence of militias preying on women. The report accuses the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of widespread sexual violence, affecting civilians as young as 8 and as old as 75.

The report highlights how Sudanese women and girls are being abducted for sexual slavery, with the RSF implicated in the majority of cases. Shockingly, there are also accounts of men and boys falling victim to rape and gang-rape.

UN report reveals militias preying on women, with SAF and RSF accused of sexual violence.

Sudan's civil war has caused tens of thousands of deaths and millions displaced.

Women and girls abducted for sexual slavery, with lack of medical services exacerbating the situation.

The lack of medical services further exacerbates the situation, as most healthcare facilities have been destroyed, leaving victims without essential medical care.

Chair of the fact-finding mission, Mohamed Chande Othman, described the scale of sexual violence in Sudan as staggering, emphasizing the urgent need for intervention.

Human rights groups have raised concerns about the escalating abuses faced by women, with reports indicating that some are resorting to suicide to escape the horrors they endure.

The conflict, which began in April 2023 due to a power struggle between the SAF and RSF, has recently intensified in east-central Sudan, resulting in over 100 deaths. The U.N. has documented cases of civilian shootings, sexual abuse of women and girls, and widespread looting.

U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres has described the situation in Sudan as a 'nightmare of violence,' with nearly 25 million people requiring urgent humanitarian assistance.

Despite the urgent need for aid, only half of the U.N.'s $2.7 billion humanitarian appeal for Sudan has been funded. The country is facing its worst famine in four decades, yet remains largely forgotten on the global stage, overshadowed by conflicts elsewhere.