Sexual Violence in Sudan: Security Council Urged to Act

Sudan Faces Unprecedented Humanitarian Crisis: Ceasefire and Aid Critical

Systematic sexual violence, including against children, is being used as a war tactic in Sudan, the Security Council was informed today. Members stressed the immediate need to protect civilians, support survivors, and end the conflict.

“Sudan is now experiencing the world’s most severe humanitarian crisis,” stated Catherine Russell, head of UNICEF.

The meeting followed intensified clashes between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces, worsening an already dire humanitarian situation.

A Generation of Children Without Education

With the economy and social services nearing collapse, Russell reported that nearly two-thirds of Sudan’s population—over 30 million people—will need humanitarian aid by 2025. This includes 16 million children. She highlighted 1.3 million children under five in famine-prone areas, 3 million at risk of deadly diseases, and 16.5 million school-aged children out of school.

“Sexual violence is rampant in Sudan today,” she continued. It is used to humiliate, control, displace, and terrorize communities, with an estimated 12.1 million women and girls—and increasingly, men and boys—at risk, marking an 80% increase from 2024. “The trauma these children endure won’t disappear with a ceasefire or peace agreement. They will need sustained care to heal,” she noted. However, aid organizations face constant bureaucratic hurdles and threats.

Russell urged prioritizing temporary humanitarian pauses and localized ceasefires if an immediate ceasefire isn’t possible. She called for global efforts to protect children and for the Council to ensure safe and unimpeded aid delivery. “We can’t help children in need when bureaucratic barriers block our efforts,” she stressed. She also called for an end to military support for the warring parties and increased humanitarian funding, warning of a “generational catastrophe” without these steps.

Two Years of Violence and Neglect

Christopher Lockyear, Secretary-General of Médecins Sans Frontières, described two years of relentless violence and suffering in Sudan, met with “two years of indifference and inaction.” He emphasized that the warring parties are worsening civilian suffering, with the Sudanese Armed Forces bombing densely populated areas and the Rapid Support Forces engaging in systematic sexual violence, abductions, mass killings, aid theft, and occupying medical facilities.

“From the outset, the violence has been merciless,” he said, noting it reached “unthinkable levels” in West Darfur. His teams in Chad treated over 800 injured individuals in just three days as thousands of Masalit civilians fled El Geneina after the Rapid Support Forces took control. “Survivors told us that simply being part of the Masalit community had become a death sentence,” he recalled. In South Darfur, his teams cared for 385 survivors of sexual violence, including children under five, who had been raped, often by armed men. “Women and girls are being deliberately targeted,” he stressed.

Lockyear highlighted that sovereignty claims can’t block aid. He criticized the Council’s repeated calls to end the conflict as “hollow,” given that civilians remain unseen, unprotected, bombed, besieged, raped, displaced, and deprived of necessities. He called for a new humanitarian agreement guaranteeing operational space for aid organizations and full redeployment of UN humanitarian agencies across Sudan. “Sudan’s crisis demands a fundamental shift from past failures—millions of lives depend on it,” he said.

Delegates Express Outrage

Council members expressed shock at the reports. “The latest UNICEF report on the situation of children in Sudan is utterly horrifying,” said Algeria’s representative, also speaking for Guyana, Sierra Leone, and Somalia. He demanded an immediate end to violence against women and girls in Sudan and stressed the need for enhanced protection and support, including mental health services and safe spaces. “Sudanese women must not be forgotten,” he urged.

Children are enduring “unimaginable horrors,” said the Republic of Korea’s representative, citing a rise in grave violations, including the rape of four one-year-old infants. “Some children face unbearable horrors that would break even an adult,” echoed Slovenia’s representative. Panama’s representative added, “Gender-based violence is a deliberate tool to crush resistance and shatter the hopes of the Sudanese people.”

Denmark’s representative, serving as Council President, also supported a monitoring mechanism aligned with the Jeddah Declaration. She highlighted “a vicious cycle of impunity” fueling atrocities in Sudan and stressed the need for accountability measures, such as referring Darfur to the International Criminal Court. “Sudan needs more than words—it needs action from the international community,” said Greece’s representative, urging clear measures to prevent further violations and collaboration with the UN to protect children.

Calls to End Hostilities

Council members emphasized the need to end the conflict. China’s representative noted that “peace remains elusive” after nearly two years of fighting and called for a ceasefire during Ramadan and improved humanitarian access. Pakistan’s representative urged an end to hostilities, stating that “the conflict cannot be resolved on the battlefield—war will only bring more death and destruction.” He condemned the Rapid Support Forces for signing a charter to establish a parallel governing authority in Sudan.

Russia’s representative recalled the Council’s criticism of the Rapid Support Forces’ attempts to create “parallel power structures.” He noted that anti-government forces plan to issue passports and mint currency, stressing that such actions are the government’s prerogative. He urged recognition of the government’s efforts to combat violence against women and children but acknowledged that “significant improvements” will come only with an end to hostilities.

Sudan’s representative accused the Rapid Support Forces of using sexual violence as a weapon, with allied militias employing “systematic mass rape to humiliate and subjugate men.” He detailed cases of forced marriage, sexual slavery, and forced displacement. Highlighting the government’s efforts to combat this violence and support survivors, he called for UN assistance to ensure women’s access to justice, establish shelters, strengthen reproductive health services, and create mechanisms to hold perpetrators accountable.