Date: December 7, 2023<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Location: Cairo, Egypt<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the midst of Sudan’s relentless conflict, sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) has emerged as a pervasive and horrifying crisis, taking a devastating toll on the country’s women and girls. Activists and humanitarian workers gathered at the Sudan Humanitarian Conference in Cairo last month to shed light on the dire situation and call for immediate action to protect civilians and aid workers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
SGBV in Sudan is not a recent phenomenon; it existed long before the conflict escalated in April. According to Sara Musa, an activist with the Darfur Women’s Forum, the conflict has only exacerbated this issue. During the conference, participants discussed the challenges in addressing SGBV, including the difficulty in accurately documenting the number of cases. The Combatting Violence Against Women Unit has reported that the recorded cases likely represent less than 3 percent of the actual figures, highlighting the magnitude of the problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What makes the situation even more unbearable is the lack of civilian protection in Sudan. Women and girls who fall victim to these heinous acts are often held captive by their abusers for days, preventing them from seeking medical care and forcing them to endure unwanted pregnancies. Shaza N Ahmed, the executive director of Nada Elazhar Organisation for Disaster Prevention and Sustainable Development, explained that non-Arab communities, such as the Masalit in West Darfur, are particularly vulnerable to SGBV. These communities have seen women and girls subjected to sexual slavery, being sold in markets, and kidnapped into forced prostitution. Disturbingly, some fighters intentionally impregnate these women as a means to alter the ethnic composition of Sudan’s population.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In Sudan, where abortion is illegal, survivors of SGBV have limited options, and the social stigma surrounding rape often drives them to depression or worse. This stigma intensifies when a child is born of rape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
SGBV was already a significant issue in Darfur before the war, particularly in rural areas where security forces acted with impunity. While the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have claimed zero tolerance for SGBV, reports of such incidents persist. Some observers believe this may indicate a lack of cohesion within the RSF ranks, while others suggest that control wanes once the violence subsides.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the past, there were community-based mechanisms and referral pathways to address SGBV, but these have largely disappeared due to the ongoing conflict. Victims are now left to cope with unwanted pregnancies, trauma, and severe complications without access to sexual violence services or medical care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
First responders and service providers also live in fear as the RSF often forces civilians to either join their ranks or face a life of torture. This perilous situation underscores the urgent need for increased support to prevent further violations and aid victims during the conflict. Activists and delegates at the conference called for comprehensive sexual reproductive health services that encompass family planning, rape protocols, HIV medications, and safe abortions when necessary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The pervasive SGBV issue in Sudan underscores a broader problem\u2014the lack of protection for civilians. Conference attendees called for greater support from the international community, enhanced protection measures for civilians, and accountability for those responsible for SGBV and other crimes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Among the most vulnerable are displaced individuals who embark on arduous journeys to escape violence. Pregnant women on these routes often suffer miscarriages, trauma, malnutrition, and a lack of medical care. Children are also at grave risk, with three to four children dying every week along the escape routes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Whether displaced within Sudan or seeking refuge outside its borders, civilians grappling with this relentless violence continue to face the threat of SGBV unless immediate protective measures are put in place. The international community must respond swiftly to this crisis and provide the support necessary to alleviate the suffering of Sudan’s most vulnerable populations.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Date: December 7, 2023 Location: Cairo, Egypt In the midst of Sudan’s relentless conflict, sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) has emerged as a pervasive and horrifying crisis, taking a devastating toll on the country’s women and girls. Activists and humanitarian workers gathered at the Sudan Humanitarian Conference in Cairo last month to shed light on […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":3005,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3004","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-5"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hernet.news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3004","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hernet.news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hernet.news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hernet.news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hernet.news\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3004"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/hernet.news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3004\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3006,"href":"https:\/\/hernet.news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3004\/revisions\/3006"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hernet.news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/3005"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hernet.news\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3004"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hernet.news\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3004"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hernet.news\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3004"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}