Darfur's Women Share Their Pain: A Cry for Help

Sudan's ongoing conflict has left women in Darfur facing unimaginable horrors. The U. N. has shared reports of systematic rape, killings, and children going missing as the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) took control of al-Fashir city. This city's fall has given the RSF a strong hold on the Darfur region after two and a half years of war with the Sudanese army. People running away from al-Fashir have told stories of civilians being shot in the streets and attacked by drone strikes. Women escaping the city have seen these terrible acts firsthand. The U. N. Women Regional Director, Anna Mutavati, called these experiences "horrors that no one should ever endure. " Sexual violence is a big problem. There's growing proof that rape is being used as a weapon of war. Mutavati said, "Women's bodies become a crime scene in Sudan. There are no safe spaces left, nowhere for women to gather safely, to seek protection or even access even the most basic psychosocial care. " Around 11 million women and girls in Darfur are struggling with extreme hunger. The U. N. warns that they even face sexual violence while searching for food. Reports from Darfur describe women looking for wild leaves and berries to make soup. While doing this, they risk violence, including abduction and sexual violence. Famine has been declared in al-Fashir and another besieged city, Kadugli. The U. N. Human Rights Chief has expressed fear that summary executions, rape, and ethnically motivated violence are still happening. Since October 26, about 82, 000 people have fled al-Fashir and surrounding areas. However, as many as 200, 000 people may still be trapped inside the city, according to population estimates from the end of the 18-month siege.