Washington, DC., 2 June 2025 —
While all civilians suffer in conflict, women and girls face not only the general horrors of war: displacement, hunger, and loss – but also gender-specific violence that exploits their vulnerability. Since April 2023, sexual violence against women and girls in Sudan’s war has escalated into one of the most devastating aspects of the conflict.
Both sides, the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have been implicated in widespread and systematic patterns of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), including rape, gang rape, forced marriage, trafficking, and abductions. These are not isolated incidents, but often deliberate tactics used to terrorize communities, assert dominance, and break social cohesion. These acts are not only violations of international law but also constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity.
In particular, the RSF has been repeatedly accused of committing atrocities against women in areas under its control. In Darfur, a region with a painful history of genocide and ethnic targeting, there are harrowing testimonies of mass rapes, some of them ethnically motivated. Children as young as one have been reported among survivors of rape. Survivors describe brutal assaults carried out in front of family members, underscoring the intentional use of sexual violence as a weapon of war.
Humanitarian organizations have documented alarming levels of sexual violence. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) reported treating 659 survivors of sexual violence in South Darfur between January and March 2025, with over two-thirds of cases involving rape. Many survivors were attacked in their homes, while fleeing, gathering food, or working in the fields. The RSF’s seizure of Zamzam displacement camp further exacerbated the situation, leading to increased reports of rape and disappearances.
In Khartoum, the capital city, both the RSF and the SAF have committed acts of sexual violence, including gang rape and forced marriages. These acts have been documented by the UN, TGR, and other human rights organizations.
Barriers to Reporting and Support
The UN reports that over 30 million people in Sudan, including 16 million children, require aid, with many facing extreme suffering and violence. The war has internally displaced over 12 million people, and nearly 4 million have fled the country. Women and children make up the majority of those displaced. Displacement camps and informal settlements offer little protection. Girls are often forced into child marriages due to economic desperation. The breakdown of law enforcement and community support systems makes it nearly impossible to report or prevent abuse.
Healthcare infrastructure, already weak before the war, is now near collapse. Survivors of sexual violence face immense barriers to accessing medical and psychological care. Lack of access to post-rape treatment, including emergency contraception and antiretroviral medications, only compounds the trauma and long-term consequences.
As families lose their homes, livelihoods, and access to basic resources, many women become primary caretakers in impossible conditions. With few opportunities to earn income safely, some are coerced into exploitative labor or survival sex. Traffickers prey on this desperation, particularly in border regions where refugee women seek safety but find more danger.
Moreover, girls are increasingly dropping out of school, either because their schools have been destroyed or because of safety concerns. The interruption in education leaves an entire generation of young women more vulnerable to abuse, poverty, and long-term disempowerment.
Survivors of sexual violence face numerous barriers to reporting and accessing support. Stigma, fear of retaliation, and lack of trust in the justice system deter many from coming forward. Cultural norms often blame victims instead of perpetrators, leading to social isolation and further trauma. Tragically, the destruction of infrastructure and scarcity of critical resources make it difficult for survivors to obtain the help they need.
Addressing the Crisis
Despite the challenges, women’s organizations in Sudan are stepping up to provide support to survivors. The Peace for Sudan Platform, facilitated by UN Women, includes more than 49 women-led initiatives and organizations from across the country. These groups are working to provide protection, psychological support, and advocacy for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence.
Organizations led by Sudanese women, many operating underground or in exile, are doing courageous work to document abuses, support survivors, and push for accountability. Their efforts deserve not only recognition but sustained international support and funding.
International organizations are also involved in providing assistance. UNICEF and the World Health Organization (WHO) are working to ensure access to emergency health supplies and support services for survivors. However, ongoing violence, attacks on healthcare facilities, and access restrictions continue to hinder these efforts.
Despite the scale of suffering, the voices of Sudanese women are often absent from peace negotiations, political discourse, and international attention. Humanitarian access remains limited, and underfunding of aid responses has left gender-focused services, including safe spaces and psychosocial support, drastically under-resourced.
Accountability and Action
The international community must take immediate and sustained action to address sexual violence in Sudan. This includes ensuring accountability for perpetrators, providing comprehensive support to survivors, and facilitating unhindered humanitarian access. The United Nations and the African Union should urgently deploy a civilian protection force, peacekeepers; and states should take steps to hold those responsible for sexual violence accountable.
The crisis of sexual violence against women and girls in Sudan’s war is a stark reminder of the devastating impact of conflict on women and girls. As the world watches, the lives of millions of women and girls hang in the balance. The international community must act – it is a moral and urgent necessity.
Photo credit: Chad Edtech Solutions Sudanese Refugees by Global Partnership for Education – GPE. Licensed under CC BY NC ND 2.0
Local parent Nour Haroun Babakar speaks during an interview at Djabal refugee camp, Eastern Chad. Nour and her family fled Sudan during the war in Darfur, and the recent uptick in violence in the region means that families such as hers remain in a state of uncertainty for the near future.
Lara Kajs is the founder and executive director of The Genocide Report, an NGO nonprofit organization in Washington, DC. She is the author of Assad’s Syria, and Stories from Yemen: A Diary from the Field, available in e-book, paperback, and hardcover at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Apple Books, and independent bookstores worldwide. Distributed by Ingram. Ms. Kajs frequently speaks about atrocity crimes, forced displacement, state terrorism, and International Humanitarian Law (IHL). Follow and connect with Lara Kajs on Facebook, Instagram, X, LinkedIn, and Bluesky.