A Sudanese doctors’ group has reported on Tuesday, that at least 135 women who were raped during Sudan’s ongoing civil war have taken their own lives, underscoring the harrowing scale and impact of sexual violence in the conflict. According to Dr. Adeeba Ibrahim Al-Sayed of the Preliminary Committee of the Sudan Doctors Syndicate, the suicides stem from trauma, fear of social stigma, and abandonment by families.
The figures reflect a grim toll of the war that erupted in April 2023 between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), both of whom stand accused of systemic abuses against women.
The committee has documented 679 rape cases, all allegedly perpetrated by RSF personnel, based on survivors’ testimonies. Alarmingly, 256 of the victims were children aged between five and sixteen. Medical professionals have carried out 48 abortions for survivors, while at least four women gave birth and later abandoned their infants, who remain unidentified and without guardianship. The situation highlights both the immediate and long-term humanitarian and legal ramifications of the atrocities committed.
Dr. Al-Sayed has called for urgent intervention by international organisations, including the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), to address the growing crisis, particularly in providing care and legal protection for abandoned children. The revelations add to mounting pressure on the global community to confront the unchecked sexual violence in Sudan and ensure justice and support for survivors.