Nairobi, May 13 (Darfur24)
A 17-year-old girl died while her younger sister survived after the two allegedly ingested a toxic substance in the town of Abu Karnka in East Darfur State, following pressure to enter into forced marriages, according to medical and family sources who spoke to Darfur24.
Medical sources said Awatif Hamouda died shortly after arriving at a hospital after consuming a highly toxic pesticide commonly used to preserve crops. Doctors were able to save her younger sister following emergency medical intervention.
A relative of the two girls, identified only as Mohammed, told Darfur24 that their father had decided to marry them off despite their repeated refusal, amid worsening economic hardship and the collapse of educational opportunities caused by Sudan’s ongoing war.
According to UNICEF estimates, more than 19 million children in Sudan have been deprived of education since the conflict began in April 2023, the majority of them girls. Rights activists say the collapse of education and deepening poverty have contributed to a rise in child and forced marriages across Darfur and Kordofan.
The incident has renewed concerns over growing violence and social pressures facing girls in conflict-affected areas, particularly in regions where protection systems and access to education have deteriorated sharply.
Human rights activists say forced marriage has increasingly become a coping mechanism for some families struggling with displacement, insecurity, and economic collapse.
A women’s rights activist from Al-Daein, who requested anonymity for security reasons, told Darfur24 that many girls in Darfur are now exposed to multiple forms of abuse, including being forced into marriage or denied access to education.
She said the continuation of the conflict and the absence of legal protection mechanisms have contributed to the resurgence of child marriage, with some families viewing it as a way to reduce economic burdens.
According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), around 34% of girls in Sudan marry before the age of 18, while 12% marry before the age of 15. The agency links the phenomenon to displacement, poverty, insecurity, and the breakdown of social structures during the war.
The incident in Abu Karnka follows previous cases of violence against girls documented in East Darfur. In 2022, two teenage girls were killed and five others injured in Al-Firdous locality after relatives allegedly subjected them to severe abuse over accusations related to pregnancy outside marriage. In another incident the same year, two girls were killed and three others injured in Asalaya locality over suspicions linked to mobile phone possession, according to documentation by Darfur24.
Rights groups warn that continued impunity and weak law enforcement in conflict areas are contributing to recurring violations against women and girls across Darfur.