Khaberni - The UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, Reem Al-Salem, described the humanitarian situation in Sudan as catastrophic and worse than imaginable, revealing the use of sexual violence and systematic rape as a "weapon of war" to destroy the social fabric of Sudanese society.
The UN rapporteur shared extremely harsh human stories of survivors she heard from women and girls who were raped by the Rapid Support Forces, during her visit aimed at monitoring the situation of women and girls over a period not exceeding 9 days in 4 Sudanese government-controlled states (Gezira State, Khartoum, Red Sea, Northern).
Salem pointed out that systematic sexual violence is not limited to specific individual cases but is a weapon of war aimed at destroying the entire Sudanese society. "These violations not only impose their harshness on women, who are the direct victims of rape, but also subjugate the men from their families who are forced by the Rapid Support Forces to watch these violations, finding themselves powerless to prevent harm to the women of their families and protect their homes."
Salem spoke on behalf of the women from El Fasher and other states, who expressed to her their fear of reporting their experiences to UN institutions for fear of the societal stigma that exacerbates their suffering.
Economic Violence
The UN official pointed to the "economic violence" situation, which is no less dangerous than the other damages caused by the war machine, including looting homes, stealing crops and gold, and destroying infrastructure, describing what is happening as systematic destruction and not just individual cases.
She also strongly criticized the insufficient international funding for the humanitarian plan in Sudan, noting that the funding does not exceed 38% at a time when 30 million Sudanese – half the population – need urgent aid amidst the spread of hunger, disease, and malnutrition, and the lack of necessary healthcare for survivors of sexual violence, including dealing with unwanted pregnancies.
In conclusion, the UN rapporteur called on the international community to exert real pressure to immediately stop the fighting and legally hold those responsible for these "heinous crimes" accountable.
She also called for allowing the passage of humanitarian aid independently and providing safe corridors for displaced persons, emphasizing the need to involve Sudanese women in any future negotiations to resolve the conflict.
UN reports have documented that women and girls in Sudan are the most affected in the war, with about 104 cases of sexual violence reported in the Zamzam camp, including 75 women.
The Sudanese National Investigation Committee reported about 1392 cases of gang rape, forced pregnancy, and forced marriage in several states, noting that these numbers represent only about 2% of the actual size of the victims who fear reporting such violations to support centers.
Teams from the Sudan Doctors Network recorded 32 rape cases in a single week involving girls displaced from El Fasher who reached Taweela.
