New York - Khartoum: Europe and the Arabs
The Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Sexual Violence in Conflict, Pramila Patten, called for an immediate end to sexual violence committed by parties to the conflict in Sudan, calling for funding to support survivors.
This came in a statement titled "A war on the bodies of women and girls" issued by the UN official's office after an official visit to Chad between 14 and 18 July 2024, to assess the situation in the Wadai region, where more than 620,000 refugees have sought protection, including survivors of conflict-related sexual violence, who fled the ongoing hostilities in Sudan.
Patten said that "following disturbing reports of a large number of cases of conflict-related sexual violence in the eastern regions of Chad, I visited the country to witness for myself the scale of the crisis resulting from the influx of civilians from Sudan, about 90 percent of whom are women and children." Horrific accounts
The UN official met in Adré town and Farchana camp with survivors of conflict-related sexual violence who fled Sudan, “who courageously shared their horrific accounts of rampant and brutal sexual violence, highlighting how sexual violence remains a prominent feature of the ongoing conflict in Sudan.”

The Special Representative heard accounts of rape and other forms of sexual violence involving multiple perpetrators, the use of ethnically motivated sexual violence against women and girls, rape in front of family members, trafficking for sexual exploitation of women and girls, abduction of women for ransom from family members, and the targeting of female activists and first responders, including those providing assistance and support to survivors of sexual violence.

In some cases, survivors and witnesses identified armed men belonging to the Rapid Support Forces and allied militias as the alleged perpetrators of these serious crimes.
Challenges in accessing basic services
The statement said that women from refugee and host communities and frontline responders shared their insights on the challenges in accessing basic services, including any form of legal assistance or access to justice, and livelihood support.
Others who provided testimony on the humanitarian situation echoed similar sentiments, stressing that the lack of specialized care, including mental health care and trauma counselling, insufficient staffing, and poorly equipped health facilities continued to create barriers to adequate support.
The Special Representative said that “survivors of sexual violence were unable to report their cases or access life-saving assistance due to the scale of the crisis, the distance to and scarcity of health facilities, as well as the shame and stigma rooted in harmful social norms.”
She added that in most cases, women who had experienced sexual violence in Sudan or while fleeing did not seek medical assistance until they realized they were pregnant.
Risks in the camps
The statement warned that the lack of security in the camps, the circulation of weapons and the presence of armed men, increase the exposure of women and girls to various forms of gender-based violence. It reported that United Nations entities have put in place measures to mitigate these risks, including lighting in the camps and fuel-saving stoves, which require additional funding to increase their size.
It stressed that despite the great efforts made by the Chadian authorities, the United Nations and international and national organizations to respond to the crisis, the urgent needs of the affected population, including survivors of sexual violence, remain largely unmet, noting that more than 3,200 people on average seek shelter in eastern Chad every week.
Patten called on the international donor community to double their contributions to the situation in Chad to support those most in need of shelter, security and assistance.
“We must respond with unwavering solidarity to conflict-affected populations, including survivors of sexual violence, and urgently alleviate their suffering,” she added. She reiterated her call on all parties to the conflict to comply with international human rights and humanitarian law, and in particular to ensure an immediate and complete cessation of all violence against civilians, including sexual violence.