The United Nations has disclosed devastating testimonies from Sudanese women and girls fleeing severe violence, including reports of families urging women to take their own lives to avoid rape.
Amid escalating conflict, at least 124 civilians have been killed in Sudan’s Al-Jazira state since October 20, with another 135,000 people displaced, according to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). Among those fleeing are over 3,200 pregnant women.
Since April 2023, Sudan’s war between the army, led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, commanded by Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths and displaced over 11 million people. In Al-Jazira alone, 27 women aged six to 60 have reportedly been assaulted or raped.
One young girl recounted being given a knife by male relatives to end her life if threatened with assault. Some women even witnessed others jumping into rivers to escape armed men. The UNFPA warned that survivors are hiding to avoid retaliation from families fearing “dishonour.”
