UN Report Highlights Sexual Violence in Sudan

A U.N.-backed fact-finding mission has attributed large-scale sexual violence in Sudan to the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), with reported incidents including gang rapes, sexual slavery, and enforced marriages. This comes amid a brutal civil war that has claimed tens of thousands of lives and displaced millions, with the RSF being implicated in the majority of sexual violence cases affecting civilians aged 8 to 75. The humanitarian situation is dire, with severe shortages in medical services contributing to rising maternal and child mortality rates, now at 295 per 100,000 births and 51 per 1,000 live births, respectively. Over 14 million people have fled their homes since the conflict began in April 2023, exacerbating the crisis for women and children who face increased risks of sexual violence and lack of reproductive health services. The Sudanese Health Minister has announced a strategic plan aimed at improving health services for mothers and children, emphasizing the urgent need for international support. Rights groups continue to raise alarms over the escalating sexual violence and human rights abuses in the region, calling for immediate action.