Mapaballo Borotho
Doctors Without Borders (MSF Southern Africa) has reiterated that women and children in Sudan’s Darfur region are at risk of being constantly sexually violated.
Sexual violence against women and children in the region is allegedly perpetrated by the Paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). However, the Sudanese Armed Forces have also been implicated.
The humanitarian organisation says the true scale of the crisis remains difficult to quantify, due to limited services in a war-stricken country and the fear of speaking up.
According to a statement released by MSF Southern Africa, individuals who have shared their stories do not feel safe anywhere in the region.
“Women and girls do not feel safe anywhere. They are attacked in their own homes, when fleeing violence, getting food, collecting firewood, and working in the fields. They tell us they feel trapped,” the statement read.
“These attacks are heinous and cruel, often involving multiple perpetrators. This must stop. Sexual violence is not a natural or inevitable consequence of war, it can constitute a war crime, a form of torture, and a crime against humanity. The warring parties must hold their fighters accountable and protect people from this sickening violence. Services for survivors must immediately be scaled up, so survivors have access to the medical treatment and psychological care they desperately need.”
Background on the Sudanese war
The war in Sudan began in April 2023, when fighting broke out between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) over control of the country.
The conflict stems from a power struggle following the collapse of joint civilian-military rule after the 2021 coup.
Women and children have been disproportionately affected, facing displacement, hunger, and widespread reports of sexual violence, particularly in conflict zones like Darfur. Millions have fled their homes, with limited access to healthcare, education, and basic protection.
Doctors Without Borders says rape has become so constant in Darfur to a point whereby civilians refer to it as unavoidable.
The organisation has provided care to more than 600 sexual violence survivors in South Darfur between January 2024 and March 2025.
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