UN: Number of Sudanese people at risk of GBV tripled
Port Sudan, Sudan (PANA) - The UN representative to the Sudan has underlined that the UN and its partners stand firmly with women in Sudan, where hundreds have been subjected to rape, sexual exploitation and harassment beside exposure to life-threatening situations because of the 19-month war.
On the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan, Clementine Nkweta-Salami, said the United Nations and its partners in Sudan “stand firmly with the women and girls of this country”.
She called on the international community to transform commitments into action and support the humanitarian response in Sudan.
She pointed out that millions of people worldwide joined one another to launch the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in Sudan.
“As part of the international and humanitarian community, I urge us all to prioritize investments in GBV prevention, challenge harmful social norms, and ensure that survivors have access to comprehensive, survivor-centered support,” she stressed.
"This year’s campaign theme – ‘Towards 30 Years of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action: UNITE to End Violence Against Women’ – calls on all of us to reflect on decades of progress and renew our commitment to ending violence against women and girls.
"Complementing this is Sudan’s national theme for the campaign, ‘You Are Not Alone’, which underscores solidarity with survivors and reinforces that no woman or girl facing GBV is left unsupported.
“Conflict, displacement, and severe food insecurity have disproportionately impacted women and girls in Sudan. Since the conflict began in April 2023, the number of people at risk of GBV has tripled, now totaling over 12 million women, girls, men, and boys," the UN official lamented.
She said the country was witnessing alarming increases in sexual violence, intimate partner violence, child marriage, female genital mutilation (FGM), and the denial of essential resources, while the risk of sexual exploitation and abuse remained high.
These challenges threaten to erode the hard-won gains made to protect the rights of women and girls and eliminate violence against them.
“We cannot allow the ongoing conflict to undo the critical progress made in Sudan toward gender equality and the safety of women and girls,” she stressed.
She argued that to effectively address GBV, everyone was needed to be part of the solution. She said the UN and international organizations could not do this alone and that they especially needed men to take a stand, discuss this issue with other men, and commit to never perpetrating or condoning violence against women and girls.
“The humanitarian community, including Sudanese civil society organizations, must prioritize holistic, survivor-centered services and robust prevention strategies,” she underlined.
The UN official argued that this demands a focused and substantial investment in women-led organizations that serve vulnerable communities and champion the rights of women and girls impacted by crises.
“It also calls for actively listening to and engaging with women and girls in need of humanitarian assistance, ensuring our support not only meets their needs but also empowers and reinforces their resilience, without causing unintended harm.”
She said people should prioritize the protection of GBV service providers and female humanitarians who tirelessly support survivors, often at significant personal risk, while also strengthening accountability systems to effectively prevent and address risks of sexual exploitation and abuse.
The UN official revealed that between January and September 2024, GBV partner organizations reached 147,000 women, girls, men, and boys across Sudan with support. This represents less than 10 per cent of the targeted number, as insecurity, lack of access, and underfunding severely constrained aid agencies.
She complained that as of 25 November, GBV programmes had received only 24 per cent of the required funds.
“On this day and throughout the 16 Days of Activism, let us remain steadfast and united. There is no excuse not to invest in the prevention, protection, and empowerment of those at risk. Together, as this year’s national theme reminds us, You Are Not Alone. "We must do better, and we must do more. Together, we can uphold the dignity and safety of all survivors and protect the gains achieved for women and girls in Sudan,” the UN official underlined.
-0-PANA MO/RA 27Nov2024
