Press briefing

Press briefing at the Palais des Nations on the humanitarian crisis in Sudan

Hodan Addou, UN Women Regional Director for East and Southern Africa a.i., spoke about UN Women’s new report on the situation in Sudan.

I am grateful to be addressing you on the catastrophic impact that the humanitarian crisis in Sudan has had on women and girls.

According to a new Gender Alert published today by UN Women, women and girls are bearing distinct and disproportionate impacts of the escalating conflict, which has led to a two-fold increase of gender-based violence.

The ongoing violence has exacerbated the risks faced by women and girls, with rising reports of conflict-related sexual violence, sexual exploitation, and abuse, particularly in Khartoum, Darfur, and Kordofan.

The nearly 5.8 million women and girls who are internally displaced are particularly vulnerable, with many cases of abuse going unreported due to a lack of adequate support and fears of stigma and retribution.

Meanwhile, women and girls are also eating least and last, with 64 per cent of female-headed households experiencing food insecurity compared to 48 per cent of male-headed households in ten states.

Access to health care services is another challenge, with 1.63 million women and girls of reproductive age without adequate services. Among them are over 160,000 are pregnant women, and an estimated 54,000 childbirths are expected in the next three months.

It is the terrifying reality of many women, such as the 26-year-old woman we talked to when compiling this report. She has been displaced from Omdurman to Atbara and has shared her harrowing experience of fleeing violence while four months pregnant, facing constant threats of murder and rape. Now a refugee within her own country, she describes the severe psychological toll the conflict has taken and calls for urgent psychological support, protection for herself and her baby, and an end to the war.

Women and girls in Sudan are facing unimaginable challenges, yet their strength and resilience continue to inspire us. Now, more than ever, the international community must rally together to support women in Sudan, ensuring they have the resources and protection they need to survive and rebuild their lives.

UN Women is supporting emerging community-based initiatives, in partnership with women-led organizations, aimed at mentoring women and building their resilience.

We urge the international community, donors, and humanitarian partners to prioritize the protection and empowerment of Sudanese women and girls, including through the increase of funding for local women-led organizations, which received only 1.63 per cent of funding from the Sudan Humanitarian Fund in 2023. UN Women stands with the people of Sudan during this deteriorating humanitarian crisis and calls for an immediate halt to the war and a return to the negotiating table for peace dialogue.

 

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