Sudan War: Women Are Caught Between Hunger and Sexual Violence - Neimat Kuku
Sudan War: Women Are Caught Between Hunger
and Sexual Violence - Neimat Kuku
“A
small door was all that separated a mother from her daughter, who was being
raped and screaming for help. The accusation here was against two members of
the Sudanese Rapid Support Forces. As one of them sexually assaulted the
daughter in a room in her house, the other stood outside threatening other
women who were begging for help.[1]”
The
war in Sudan that broke out on April 15, 2023, between the Sudanese army and
the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), produced the largest humanitarian crisis in
modern history. Its repercussions spread throughout the country due to
intervention by regional and other political and economic alliances. The
Sudanese people paid a heavy price for this catastrophic war. UN reports
indicate that there are more than 11 million internally displaced persons
(IDPs) and more than 3 million refugees to neighboring countries, 88% of whom
are women and children.[2]
Sudanese
women, in particular, continue to face various forms of suffering and daily
displacement difficulties due to the increasing wave of violence between the
two warring parties in large parts of Sudanese cities. The war has caused one
of the worst hunger crises in the world, as more than 1.2 million pregnant and
breastfeeding women face malnutrition that threatens their health, lives, and
the lives of their children.[3] In an interview with Alhurra, The Sudanese government unit
for combating violence against women said that "war in itself is a
violation of human rights in general and women's rights in particular, because
it weakens the infrastructure and makes life very difficult for women."[4]
Despite
the steadfastness of women and girls in the face of these atrocities, the war
machine was more violent than they could handle. Women and girls were killed,
sexually assaulted, displaced from their homes, lost shelter and security, and
subjected to sexual violence and extortion, including at border crossings,
after losing or being robbed of all their savings and gold.
Challenges
facing women varied. Some were injured by artillery shrapnel, and others bore
the duties of caring for their children. Some are trying to cope with the
reality of leaving their homes in Khartoum, Madani, and the villages of South
Al-Jazeera and Sennar. They were displaced into the unknown for many days and
nights into areas they may be seeing for the first time in other Sudanese
regions, especially after the fighting between the two sides expanded. As the
catastrophic war continues, women in Sudan keep paying its heavy price. It is
not only about direct violations such as rape and torture; other serious abuses
persist, such as forced and multiple displacement from their homes into various
areas.
Weaponizing Hunger
Both
sides of the conflict in Sudan have weaponized hunger in their battles all over
the country. Humanitarian work is besieged, and access is prevented for those
in need. Safe corridors for workers do not exist, globally or nationally. UN
reports indicate that 26 million people, or about half the population, are
facing the risk of famine; 18 million of them are facing severe food
insecurity, including 14 million children.[5]
The UN Undersecretary-General declared that these numbers are shocking and
cannot be ignored.[6]
Despite
the lack of accurate statistics on the full impact of the war on women in
Sudan, reports indicate that their humanitarian situation has worsened since
the outbreak of the war. Women and children make up more than two-thirds of
IDPs in the country. They suffer from severe food shortages, various forms of
ongoing hardships, and daily displacement difficulties due to the increasing
wave of violence in large parts of the country. Life-saving medicines for
elderly women patients are lacking or costly. Their husbands are also likely to
have lost their basic sources of income. They accepted temporary housing with
several families inside one school classroom, which increased the daily
displacement rates. The calamities do not end until the families reach areas
with less intense clashes.
The
suffering of Sudanese women is exacerbated by the difficulty of obtaining basic
health care and food. UN reports indicate that a large percentage of pregnant
women suffer from a lack of essential health services, leading to high
mortality rates among mothers and newborns. UN reports also reflect that 13
million children face severe levels of food insecurity, with famine confirmed
in the Zamzam camp in North Darfur.[7]
Some
economic reports indicate that this war has cost Sudanese women a great deal of
losses in terms of jobs, property, and housing. They were forced to knock on
the doors of relief and aid organizations and were forced to leave their main
jobs in the cities. The most significant loss was in rural areas where women
work in agriculture, herding, and crafts. Sudanese women play a fundamental
role in achieving food security through their contribution to the productive
agricultural economy in farming and livestock raising. They contribute to more
than 80% of food production.[8] As the war spread, the
agricultural sector completely collapsed, pushing Sudan into the largest famine
crisis globally.
As
the war approaches its second year with no end in sight, it has led to many
serious violations against women, especially rape. Used as a weapon of identity
in the Darfur war of 2003, rape has now become a tool of criminal warfare to
humiliate conservative local communities in villages and rural areas.[9] Other violations include
sexual assaults, kidnapping, sexual slavery, forced marriage, and slavery and
sexual exploitation in exchange for food. UN reports indicate that 7 million
women and girls in Sudan face the risk of sexual violence and gender-based
violence,[10] according to Mohammed
Al-Amin, the representative of the United Nations Population Fund in Sudan. He
also said that these crimes - including gang rape - have been repeated, and
their effects on individuals and society will extend for many years.
Documented
reports confirm that the number of these violations continues to rise. Since
the beginning of the war, 679 cases of rape have been documented. The victims
were taken to various medical facilities with health complications and severe
injuries due to gang rape, which is a serious violation of humanitarian law.[11] Many cases have not been
monitored, documented, or reached hospitals due to the families’ abstinence,
fear of society, and the culture of social stigma. There are also many cases in
Darfur and other areas in Sudan, most of which have not been documented or
recorded in hospitals due to the comprehensive destruction that has affected
the health sector. Studies indicate that 90% of hospitals have gone out of
service, which exacerbates the suffering of women in general and survivors of
sexual violence and rape in particular.[12]
Rape
cases have increased, and some reports have recorded many suicides among girl
victims of rape and their exposure to murder by the head of the family for fear
of the social and cultural stigma. It is also worth noting the physical and
psychological impact, needing rapid medical intervention, a protocol for
treating injuries, preventing sexually transmitted diseases, and providing
contraception, which requires examinations, medications, and periodic and
psychological follow-up. However, this tragic war led to the lack of drugs,
especially life-saving ones and those used for the protocol. They are added to
the lack of safe passages in the absence of a sufficient number of medical
personnel, which severely complicates the health status of survivors, especially
children, further complicating the situation and causing many deaths.[13]
According
to the Sudanese Group for Victims of Enforced Disappearances, since the
outbreak of the war, 96 cases of enforced disappearance have been recorded
among women who are likely to have been subjected to rape, sexual slavery, or
forced into domestic work,[14] with sexual exploitation in
exchange for food, especially in areas controlled by the army. With their
return, life becomes more complicated, as they are often stigmatized and
subjected to various types of verbal abuse and social isolation.
The
war's persistence means the continuation of the violations and attacks that
have affected and continue to affect women in Sudan, especially in light of the
absence of means of protection. This armed conflict is unlikely to stop without
international intervention to protect life in Sudan so that international
humanitarian organizations can intervene to save and protect women.
[1] Islam Amin, November 8, 2024.
[2] Reports by the International Organization for
Migration (IOM) in 2024.
[3] Various UN reports.
[4] Sulaimi Isaac during the 16 Days Campaign
Against Vionence Against Women, November 2024.
[5] Former UN Undersecretary-General, December
2024.
[6] Ibid.
[7] Join UNHCR and UNICEF statement,
[8] Neimat Kuku, "War and Rural Women,"
March 2023.
[9] Neimat Kuke, "Rape: From a Weapon of
Identity to a Weapon of Criminal War," November 2024.
[10] UNFPA - Sudan, July 2024.
[11] Dr. Adiba Ibrahim, "The War's Implications on
Women's Health," November 2024.
[12] Ibid.
[13] Ibid.
[14] From social media reports.
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