Women in Sudan's al-Obeid face drone attacks and rape when fetching water, UN says
Women and girls in Sudan's al-Obeid face a dire choice between the threat of drone attacks during the day and sexual violence at night when they go out to fetch water in the besieged city, U.N. Women said on Friday.
Intelligence analysis by Llama
Women in Sudan's al-Obeid face drone attacks and rape when fetching water, UN says. The U.N. warns of a human rights catastrophe amid intensifying fighting between Sudan's army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
Imagine you're a woman living in a city in Sudan called al-Obeid. You need to go out to fetch water, but there are drones flying around that might attack you. And if you go out at night, you might get raped or hurt. This is a really bad situation for women and girls in al-Obeid.
Analysis
A Humanitarian Crisis Unfolds in Sudan's al-Obeid
The situation in Sudan's al-Obeid is dire, with women and girls facing a choice between drone attacks during the day and sexual violence at night when they go out to fetch water. The U.N. warns of a human rights catastrophe amid intensifying fighting between Sudan's army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The war, now in its fourth year, has sparked one of the world's worst humanitarian crises, with rampant reports of sexual violence and other abuses.
Access to Water and Healthcare is Severely Limited
Access to food and healthcare is severely limited in al-Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan, where the U.N.'s human rights chief warned this month that a human rights catastrophe was unfolding. The U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said civilians in al-Obeid had faced siege-like conditions for 18 months, with critical shortages of clean water and relentless drone strikes.
A Quadrupling of Gender-Based Violence
Across Sudan, an estimated 12.7 million women and girls are in need of support from gender-based violence services this year alone, a quadrupling since the beginning of the war, according to U.N. Women data. The agency did not have a breakdown for al-Obeid, but highlighted that there were 500,000 people in the city, about 70% of whom are women and children, and said it expected high levels of need for support against sexual violence.
Key points
- Women and girls in Sudan's al-Obeid face a dire choice between drone attacks during the day and sexual violence at night when they go out to fetch water.
- The U.N. warns of a human rights catastrophe amid intensifying fighting between Sudan's army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
- Access to food and healthcare is severely limited in al-Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan.
- Across Sudan, an estimated 12.7 million women and girls are in need of support from gender-based violence services this year alone, a quadrupling since the beginning of the war.
- The U.N. expects high levels of need for support against sexual violence in al-Obeid.
If the international community provides more support and aid to Sudan, it could help alleviate the humanitarian crisis and reduce the risk of drone attacks and sexual violence. Additionally, if the warring parties can come to a peace agreement, it could lead to a reduction in violence and an improvement in the lives of women and girls in al-Obeid.
If the situation in Sudan continues to deteriorate, it could lead to a further escalation of violence and a worsening of the humanitarian crisis. Additionally, if the international community fails to provide adequate support and aid, it could lead to a increase in drone attacks and sexual violence against women and girls in al-Obeid.
