Sudan – War exacerbates the suffering of women and children and an international invitation not to abandon them

At the end of a visit to Port Sudan, Radwan Nuweir, a United Nations human rights expert in Sudan, raised the alarm about the deterioration of the situation in the midst of the escalation of hostilities.

The UN expert appointed by the High Commissioner for Human Rights said: “Every day the conflict continues in Sudan, innocent lives are lost, societies are torn, and shocks continue to chase generations. The ongoing war has destroyed the lives of civilians and turned daily stay into a continuous conflict.”

“I am very concerned about widespread violations and abuses against civilians in Sudan, including outside law, sexual violence, forced displacement, and arbitrary detention. As the conflict continues, the human rights situation and the humanitarian situation deteriorate at a disturbing pace,” Nuweir added.

During his visit to Port Sudan, Nuweir met many Sudanese officials, noting that his discussions with them were frank and transparent. He also met the societies of the displaced.

The UN expert added: “I listened directly to women displaced internally on a site hosting the families supported by women, and those who have the influence of the conflict on the lives of people who were forced to flee. In particular, persons with disabilities face tremendous difficulties in leaving the conflict areas, and the lack of services in the displacement areas.”

Sudan women bear the greatest burden

While the humanitarian crisis in Sudan is exacerbated with the escalation of starvation and conflict, women and girls bear the greatest burden. A new report published by the United Nations Women revealed today, Tuesday, that families headed by women are facing a multiplier threat of severe food insecurity compared to the families headed by men.

According to the report, 75 percent of families supported by women cannot meet the basic nutritional needs, and extreme food insecurity may almost double in one year. This crisis feeds the gender systematic inequality, which is exacerbated by conflict and displacement.

With the increase in the number of women who have the responsibility of supporting families – often due to the death or disappearance of male relatives – they face the most difficult barriers in front of obtaining food, income and aid.

Sexual emergency

Salvatore Nkurunziza, representative of the United Nations Women in Sudan, said: “With the arrival of circumstances now to the thresholds of starvation in several regions of the country, it is not just a food crisis, but rather a state of sexual emergency caused by the failure of the interrogating work of gender.”

She explained that women and girls bear the greatest burden of extreme food insecurity, with lower resources, less access to aid, and greater risk.

Throughout Sudan, women -led organizations operate food kitchens, provide meals, and support displaced families – often without sufficient financing. One of these organizations operating in eight states was forced to close more than half of its kitchens due to lack of resources.

Sudan children die with hunger and disease

Shieldon, the representative of UNICEF in Sudan, expressed regret over the deterioration of children’s situation quickly throughout the country, warning that children die due to hunger, disease and direct violence and that they are deprived of services that could save their lives.

UNICEF spoke to journalists in Geneva today, Tuesday, noting that he traveled from Port Sudan to the states of Al -Jazeera and Khartoum, during the past week, and witnessed the impact of this crisis – the largest humanitarian crisis in the world – on children and families.

He added: “This is not a default. It is an imminent catastrophe. We are about to cause irreversible harm to a complete generation of children – not because we lack knowledge or tools to save them, but because we collectively fail to act quickly and the scope that this crisis requires. We need to reach these children. “

He continued, saying: “During the mission, I saw devastating homes and buildings. I saw our warehouse in Khartoum and it was looted and turned into rubble. I saw our humanitarian supplies in that warehouse destroyed. I saw societies that were taken out of their roots and children who were forced to flee living in crowded neighborhoods.”

UNICEF representative said that he visited the Jabal Awlia area, one of the two regions in the state of Khartoum, which were determined as being at risk of severe famine and the spread of cholera, noting that the few health centers and the treatment of malnutrition treatment operating in the area are very crowded and full of people.

Although the security situation is still fraught with dangers, UNICEF representative said that the organization and its partners are doing their best and continue to support health, nutrition, water and sanitation services, and the replacement of vital supplies as it is needed. The organization also creates safe spaces for children to learn, play and recover.

He explained that many UNICEF partners in the state of Khartoum and other places in Sudan were forced to reduce their work due to the recent discounts of financing. He stressed the need for resources and sustainable access, “so that we can quickly expand the scope of work in the areas we can now reach.”

He concluded his speech by emphasizing the need for the world not to turn its back on the children of Sudan.