On 15 April 2023, war broke out in Sudan between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), triggering what is now the world’s most severe humanitarian crisis. Since then, the conflict has intensified and spread across the country with 17.1 million women and girls in need of assistance.

The war has been marked by widespread human rights violations and mass displacement, with women and girls consistently disproportionately impacted.

Women and girls in Sudan have experienced unthinkable atrocities, some of which amount to war crimes. Women and girls have been raped and subjected to other forms of sexual and gender-based violence in their homes, as they flee, in camps and while seeking food, water and essential services – as rape has been used systematically as tactic of this war.

These violations are compounded by blockades and ongoing instability – which leaves women and girls cut off from essential services, humanitarian assistance, and basic supplies. Women and girls in inaccessible areas are the most at risk of death, starvation and violations.

Women and girls are carrying the extra burden of sustaining families, protecting children, and securing food and water, amid collapsing services and insecurity.

Under conditions that are incompatible with basic survival, and in increasingly dangerous circumstances, women are working on the frontlines of the humanitarian response, and in mediation and peace efforts.

Millions of women and girls have been displaced by the war in Sudan, facing heightened risks as they flee their homes and seek safety. As the Sudan conflict enters its fourth year, 4.3 million women and girls remain displaced inside the country, and millions more have fled to neighbouring countries.

Displacement is particularly dangerous for women and girls in Sudan – exposing them to threats of rape, kidnapping, sexual- and gender-based violence, and death as they search for food, water, and access to health care and other basic services. They are also targeted in overcrowded shelters.

Many women and girls have been forced to flee repeatedly, with the responsibility of caring for children and the elderly, and sustaining families amid ongoing insecurity and blockades. These conditions make caregiving even more challenging.

Rape and sexual violence have been used systematically in Sudan as tactics of war, with women and girls targeted in their homes, during displacement, and while accessing food and services.

Rape, and other forms of gender-based violence have been reported in conflict affected areas. These calculated acts are often used to terrorize, humiliate, and fracture communities, asserting control over populations. Within the first two years of war, demand for support services following sexual violence had almost tripled, with further increases seen in the past year. A recent survey conducted by UN Women found that two-thirds of women working on the frontlines of the humanitarian response in Sudan witnessed a significant increase in sexual violence against women and girls in 2025, with half of respondents reporting a significant increase in 2026.

While sexual violence in Sudan has dominated the global narrative of the war, isolating it alone tells an incomplete story, and risks harming recovery and peace efforts. A far less recognized defining feature of the war is the women leading the response on the frontlines – including providing lifesaving support to survivors. Working through women-led organizations, they do this in places where international actors cannot go, risking their lives and putting them at risk of the same atrocities that have been so well-documented. It is important that we recognize their leadership and resilience – showing that immense suffering and strength exist in the same space.

In conflict-affected areas, a lack of accountability for these crimes continues to fuel cycles of violence and impunity, alongside fear of social stigma, which prevents women and girls from reporting violence.

Many women and girls in Sudan, particularly in conflict-affected regions, are cut off from essential services, humanitarian aid, and basic supplies. Ongoing fighting, blockades and instability have severed access to food, water, healthcare, and protection leaving women and girls without the resources and support they need to survive.

Similar to the use of sexual violence as a tactic of the war in Sudan, blockades and sieges have been systematically implemented. As a result, the needs of women and girls are massive. In 2026, 17.1 million women and girls require humanitarian assistance, including 1.1 million pregnant women.

Displacement, repeated attacks, and collapsing infrastructure further prevent safe access to food, water, healthcare, protection, and shelter. Survey data show that two-thirds of women working in women-led organizations – including those working on the frontlines – reported a significant increase in a lack of access to basic services in 2025 and 2026.

Sudan continues to face unprecedented levels of food insecurity, with the risk of famine persisting in Darfur and Kordofan. This year, an estimated 13.6 million women and girls need food and livelihoods support.

In many areas, women are forced into impossible choices – going hungry for days and nights or risking being attacked while searching for food for their families.

The cumulative effects of insecurity, sieges or living under siege-like conditions, and systemic disruptions have left women and girls struggling to survive.

Sudanese women are leading humanitarian efforts in the country. They are providing lifesaving assistance to women, children, and families in conflict-affected areas – delivering food, medical care, psychosocial support, and protection services, often in areas inaccessible to international actors.  

Women are negotiating with armed groups to secure access to essential services, help displaced families find shelter and protect women and girls from gender-based violence. Much of this work is carried out through women-led organizations and women’s response rooms – safe, dedicated spaces where women and girls can access support, services, and information during crises – embedded in emergency response systems.

Despite underfunding, insecurity, and personal risk, Sudanese women are sustaining communities where formal systems have failed. And their leadership in humanitarian efforts, which has largely gone unrecognized, has been a lifeline to millions of women across Sudan.

Women-led organizations in Sudan are central to the humanitarian response but face severe challenges, including funding shortages, insecurity, and restrictions that limit their ability to operate.

Ninety-nine percent of surveyed organizations reported difficulties caused by insufficient funding, restrictions by authorities, and conflict-related threats. In 2025, 85 percent experienced cuts in funding, forcing closures of community kitchens and other essential services that support food security, health, and protection for women and girls. 

Frontline women workers are directly targeted with violence, with one in five reporting receiving threats. 

Inadequate resources are limiting the ability of these organizations to provide lifesaving services, including psychosocial support, gender-based violence response, and emergency healthcare. These constraints are further compounded in areas of active fighting, where displacement, food insecurity, and attacks on civilians are already significantly heightening humanitarian needs. 

Despite these obstacles, women-led organizations continue to strive to deliver essential services, protect communities, and advocate for humanitarian access in extremely difficult circumstances. 

Studies show that when women participate in peace processes, the likelihood of a peace agreement lasting 15 years increases by 35 percent. Despite this, no Sudanese women have been included as negotiators in formal talks over the past three years.

While Sudanese women have been largely excluded from formal negotiations, they are playing a crucial role in peacebuilding. Across the country and in the diaspora, women are leading grassroots initiatives to reduce conflict, combat hate speech, and advocate for disarmament.

Their leadership on the ground demonstrates that women are drivers of peace. Women bring unique insights into the needs, risks, and priorities of affected communities. Including the expertise of women in formal decision-making is crucial for achieving sustainable, inclusive, just, and lasting peace in Sudan.

UN Women provides lifesaving support to women and girls across Sudan, including protection services, psychosocial support, and essential supplies. 

We work in partnership with over 45 women-led organizations across 15 states to reach displaced communities and conflict-affected regions, including in Darfur, Kordofan, Blue Nile, and White Nile – delivering critical services, protecting communities, and sustaining essential humanitarian operations.

UN Women facilitates women’s leadership in humanitarian decision-making through the Women’s Advisory Group, which brings together 22 women’s organizations and networks, ensuring women’s priorities inform funding and programming.

By centering women in emergency response, UN Women ensures they remain key actors in sustaining livelihoods, mitigating violence against women, and providing protection and care to those most affected by Sudan’s ongoing war.

UN Women calls for an immediate end to hostilities protection of civilians, and the full, safe, and meaningful inclusion of women in humanitarian response and peacebuilding. 

We call for humanitarian actors to prioritize cross-sectoral interventions centered on women’s needs, including gender-based violence response, sexual and reproductive health, mental health support, dignity kits, and emergency livelihoods.

We call for accountability of perpetrators of sexual and gender-based violence, alongside survivor-centered justice.

And finally, we call for at least 40 per cent women representation in peace processes, with full participation in recovery, protection, and decision-making for sustainable peace in Sudan.