UN Women Report Exposes Catastrophic Impact of Sudan War on Women and Girls
A shocking new report from UN Women has revealed the devastating human cost of Sudan's ongoing conflict, with more than 4.3 million women and girls now displaced within the country and a staggering 17.1 million requiring urgent humanitarian assistance in 2026. The agency's latest Gender Alert paints a grim picture of rapidly deteriorating conditions, where access to basic necessities like food, shelter, and medical care remains severely limited, particularly in active conflict zones.
Escalating Sexual Violence and Widespread Impunity
The report, titled "Three years of war: Sudanese women on the frontlines of humanitarian and local peacebuilding efforts," documents a sharp and alarming escalation in sexual and gender-based violence as the conflict enters its fourth year. According to UN Women, the number of women and girls needing support after experiencing sexual violence has nearly doubled in the last two years and has quadrupled since the war began three years ago.
Drawing on data from 85 women-led organizations operating across conflict-ravaged regions like Darfur and Kordofan, the report indicates that two-thirds of frontline responders recorded a significant rise in sexual violence during 2025, with half reporting further escalation in 2026. These violations, aimed at terrorizing and controlling women, are being carried out with widespread impunity, exacerbated by blockades and persistent instability.
Critical Role of Women-Led Organizations Amid Mounting Risks
Despite facing immense dangers, women-led organizations continue to play a vital humanitarian role, reaching nearly 20 million people with essential services including food distribution, healthcare, psychosocial support, and mediation in areas largely inaccessible to international actors. However, the report reveals that 99 percent of these organizations face operational challenges due to funding shortages, insecurity, and administrative impediments, while 85 percent were affected by funding cuts in 2025.
Alarmingly, one in five women working in these organizations has received direct threats, highlighting the extreme risks faced by frontline responders. The report also notes the absence of meaningful participation by Sudanese women in formal peace negotiations over the past three years, despite their crucial frontline efforts.
Systematic Abuse and Calls for Accountability
Anna Mutavati, Regional Director of UN Women for East and Southern Africa, stated that the abuse has become systematic. "Women and girls are being raped and killed in their homes, and as they flee, seek food, water and medical care. The use of sexual violence has been embedded in the blueprint of Sudan's war," she emphasized.
Mutavati stressed that accountability is fundamental to ending the crisis, noting that there can be no genuine peace while sexual violence remains one of its most calculated and cruelest tactics. In response, UN Women has called for increased funding for women-led initiatives, enhanced protection of civilians, meaningful inclusion of women in peace processes, and stronger accountability measures to ensure justice for survivors.
