Sudan’s Women Under Siege

Editorial : Reda El Ghazal

Sudanese women and girls represent over 70% of the 12 million people displaced since the war began in April 2021.
Acute food insecurity affects 18 million, forcing mothers to prioritize feeding their children over themselves. Aid efforts fail to meet the growing demands of many who survive on very little.

Gender-based violence rises in stages, Since 2022, the likelihood of sexual and physical violence has tripled, posing a threat to 12.1 million women and girls. According to UN reports, armed groups intentionally use rape to instill fear and destabilize communities.

Despite the fact that survivors report coordinated attacks, underreporting continues due to stigma and a lack of resources. Healthcare and education systems collapse. Seventy percent of the health facilities in Sudan are inoperable, preventing rape survivors and pregnant women from receiving essential care.

Meanwhile, 19 million children lack schooling-half of them girls forced into early marriages or labor for survival. A Darfur teacher describes a lost generation by stating, “Education was our shield; now it’s gone.”