El Fasher , April 23 (Darfur 24)
Coordinator of Abu Shouk IDP camp in in El Fasher, the provincial capital of North Darfur, Samia Adam Dafallah, revealed increasing cases of sexual exploitation targeting displaced women, especially minors.
Dafallah told “Darfur 24” that this matter “caused psychological disturbances for the victims, forcing some of them to commit suicide amid negligence on the part of specialists to combat this type of crime.”
Dafallah explained that there is a displaced woman from Salam Center “3” who is pregnant in her sixth month and tried to commit suicide, as she is now receiving treatment at the Saudi Hospital in El Fasher, while the other is at Salam Center “4” with whom we are continuing awareness sessions.
Awareness sessions are expected to be circulated in all 25 shelter centers in Abu Shouk camp.
Dafallah said that the statistics on pregnancies resulting from the increasing phenomenon of sexual exploitation among displaced women are frightening, but the families of the victims themselves hide themselves because of shame.
In addition, an official at the center for sheltering displaced persons at Al-Ittihad Secondary School for Girls – who preferred to conceal her identity – accused the armed struggle forces of involvement in violent crimes at the center.
The official told “Darfur 24” that the displaced women expressed their dissatisfaction with the violations committed by members of the Struggle Forces stationed in front of the school in a protest in late last March and demanded their expulsion, before revealing that the displaced women are exposed to all kinds of violence on a daily basis without interference from the authorities.
In a related context, the head of shelter centers in the northern sector of El Fasher city, Ahmed Muhammad Adam, confirmed the increasing cases of sexual exploitation targeting displaced women.
Adam attributed the increase in sexual exploitation of displaced women to the deteriorating social status of the majority of victims and their forcing them to work in illegal conditions, subject to exploitation by employers, customers, or other deviants.
Adam called on people with compassionate hearts and organizations working in the humanitarian field to provide aid to those affected by the war in shelter centers in North Darfur.