The Humanitarian Crisis in al-Fashir: Women Facing Unbearable Horror

Women fleeing al-Fashir, Sudan, report harrowing experiences of violence, including killings, systematic rape, and the disappearance of their children, as the city falls under the control of the Rapid Support Forces. The U.N. highlights the deliberate use of sexual violence as a warfare tactic, compounding challenges of food insecurity faced by women.

Women escaping from the city of al-Fashir in Sudan have reported grave atrocities, including killings, systematic rape, and the disappearance of their children following the city's capture by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The U.N. agency for women raised alarm over these incidents, emphasizing that civilians are in dire situations amid the RSF's growing control of the Darfur region.

The U.N.'s Regional Director for East and Southern Africa, Anna Mutavati, reported widespread sexual violence, describing it as a weapon of war. 'Women's bodies become a crime scene in Sudan,' she stated, shedding light on the fact that safe spaces are non-existent, with women and girls highly vulnerable to sexual violence and harassment, even as they search for basic needs like food.

Famine is severely affecting the region, with 11 million women and girls facing acute food insecurity. While searching for sustenance, they risk gender-based violence, including abductions. The ongoing humanitarian crisis prompted the U.N. Human Rights Chief to express fears of continued violence, urging the global community to take action.

(With inputs from agencies.)