A United Nations entity has issued a stark warning regarding the escalating crisis in Sudan, citing mounting evidence that rape is being used deliberately and systematically. The announcement comes amidst widespread famine and critical food insecurity plaguing the nation.
Anna Mutavati, Regional Director for East and Southern Africa at UN Women, addressed journalists in Geneva, emphasizing the urgency of the situation. “Every day the world delays action, a woman gives birth under bombardment, buries her child from starvation, or disappears without justice,” she stated, painting a grim picture of the realities facing Sudanese women.
Mutavati highlighted harrowing accounts from women in El Fasher, describing it as “the epicenter of the latest catastrophe in Sudan.” She revealed that pregnant women were forced to deliver their babies in the streets after the city’s last maternity hospital was destroyed and looted. The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) gained control of El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur state, in late October, with reports surfacing of widespread atrocities, including summary executions and sexual violence.
These abuses have reportedly driven thousands of women and girls to flee to distant towns such as Tawila, Korma, and Mellit, approximately 70 kilometers away, where humanitarian access remains severely limited. The UN official underscored the dire circumstances, stating that “women’s bodies have become a battleground in Sudan,” warning that there are “no safe spaces” left for women to seek protection or psychosocial support.
“Basic dignity has completely broken down,” Mutavati explained, pointing out the exorbitant cost of basic necessities. A single pack of sanitary pads now sells for approximately $27 in North Darfur, while the average monthly humanitarian cash assistance for a family of six is only around $150. She added, “Most women and girls in Sudan probably don’t eat at all. Women often skip meals so that their children can eat.”
