Two years since the eruption of violent conflict in Sudan, the nation faces an unprecedented humanitarian crisis and it is women and girls bearing the brunt of the impact, a new report warns.
The catastrophe has engulfed the entire country, and the harrowing impact of the crisis has been laid bare in a new report by the NGO Forums, which includes CARE, in Sudan, Chad and South Sudan.
More than 30 million people are desperately in need of aid – the highest number ever recorded for a single country. Some 12.6 million people have been forced to flee their homes, more than 8.5 million of whom internally displaced, while 600,000 people are living in famine conditions.
Amidst sweeping hunger and displacement, the conflict has exacerbated all forms of violence against women and girls who are at an increased risk of sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment. The use of sexual violence as a weapon of war throughout has been pervasive.
Demand for services for women and girls who have suffered gender-based violence (GBV) has increased by 288%, leaving survivors in dire need of medical care and trauma support.
Women-led initiatives play a crucial role in the prevention of GBV and providing essential services to survivors – yet they receive less than 2% of the critically-underfunded Sudan Humanitarian Fund (SHF).
Foreign Secretary David Lammy must not forget the women of Sudan. CARE International UK is urging him to:
- Match last year’s aid levels and urgently commit £226 million in lifesaving aid for Sudan
- Prioritise funding for services that protect women and girls from GBV
- Work with the UN to ensure 100% of the SHF reaches local, especially women-led, organisations
CARE Sudan’s country director, Abdirahman Ali, says:
“The population across Sudan – especially women and girls – continues to endure unimaginable suffering. With the health system in collapse, pregnant women, new mothers, and the sick have little to no access to medical care. Violence against women and girls is rising unchecked, and survivors are often left without support.
“Food insecurity is pushing millions to the brink of starvation. Now, dwindling funding and aid cuts threaten to erase the few lifelines that remain. Yet, the determination of local responders—especially women-led organisations—remains unshaken. The world must not look away as the lives of Sudanese women and girls hang in the balance.”
CARE International UK’s CEO, Helen McEachern, says:
“For two years, Sudanese people have endured insurmountable levels of suffering, and it is women and girls on the frontlines of the gravest humanitarian crisis in the world.
“Every day, we hear stories of mothers forced to flee their homes carrying nothing but their children, women subjected to the most horrific sexual violence, and young girls who have had their futures stolen by the continued fighting.
“We urge the UK Government to keep its promise to protect the UK’s aid budget for Sudan. Since UK aid cuts were announced, we have heard nothing on how it plans to protect women and girls. Women-led organisations in Sudan have been at the forefront of the humanitarian response, providing essential services despite limited resources, and they must be funded and safeguarded.
“Millions of lives hang in the balance, and time is running out for the international community to ramp up its efforts to ensure the people of Sudan have safety and a life free from violence.”
Media enquiries
For all media enquiries, please contact Zaina Alibhai on alibhai@careinternational.org