Agencies, July 25 (Darfur24)
UN Women has expressed grave concern over escalating violence against women and girls in El Obeid, warning that daytime drone attacks and nighttime sexual violence have left women with no safe time to collect water, in what it said mirrors atrocities documented in El Fasher last year.
In a statement issued on Friday, the agency said access to food, healthcare, and other essential services remains severely restricted, particularly in displacement sites.
With the rainy season expected to peak next month, UN Women warned that ensuring access to safe water is critical to preventing waterborne diseases. It noted that Sudan is already experiencing a cholera outbreak, with the World Health Organization reporting 1,330 cases by early July.
The agency said worsening malnutrition among women and girls, combined with limited access to healthcare, is increasing the risk of severe illness and death.
UN Women said women and girls in El Obeid had described how drone strikes targeting water sources and distribution points during the day force them to wait until nightfall to fetch water. Believing the darkness offers some protection from air attacks, they instead face harassment, rape, and other forms of sexual violence while trying to access one of life’s most necessary resources.
The agency said sexual violence has become one of the most pervasive and devastating features of Sudan’s three-year conflict, describing it as a weapon of war. According to UN Women, the number of women and girls requiring gender-based violence response services has quadrupled since the conflict began, reaching an estimated 12.7 million in 2026.
UN Women said local women’s organizations supported by the agency remain a vital lifeline, often reaching communities inaccessible to other humanitarian actors and providing essential protection and support. However, it warned that funding cuts have severely affected their ability to operate.
According to the agency, two-thirds of women’s organizations surveyed in Sudan reported that safe spaces and gender-based violence services had been closed or significantly reduced. Half said they would be forced to suspend operations or shut down entirely within the next year without urgent financial support.
UN Women renewed its call for an immediate ceasefire to enable inclusive peace negotiations and end the conflict. It also urged all parties to allow safe and unhindered humanitarian access, respect international humanitarian and human rights law, protect women and girls, and ensure accountability for violations.
The agency further called for women’s full, safe, and meaningful participation in peace processes, humanitarian decision-making, and recovery and reconstruction efforts, while urging greater investment in women-led organizations that continue to provide critical support to women and girls across Sudan.