Attachments
Key Highlights
Project HOPE’s two Interagency Emergency Health Kits (IEHKs) have arrived in Port Sudan and are currently clearing customs for onward distribution to Khartoum and surrounding communities.
More than 3.5 million people have been displaced by the conflict, which entered its 100th day this week.
Reports of rape, sexual violence, and abuse have increased significantly since the start of this crisis, with approximately 4.2 million women and girls affected by the conflict at an increased risk of gender-based violence (GBV).
Our local partner, Nada Elazhar for Disaster Prevention and Sustainable Development (NADA), has activated a hotline for GBV survivors and is providing health, counseling, and case management services to displaced families and refugees in North Darfur State and Northern State.
Situation Overview
The conflict in Sudan has passed the 100-day mark with no progress in peace talks or consistent ceasefire agreements.
Since the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces began fighting in mid-April, the Federal Ministry of Health has reported 705 people killed and 5,287 injured, although this number is likely underreported as only injuries and deaths reported to health facilities are included in that count. Reporting from news outlets paints a grim picture, with CNN reporting today that over the past two months more than 10,000 people have been killed in El Geneina, a city in West Darfur. In addition, towns have been burned to the ground and houses looted, suggesting that true death and injury counts are much higher.
The humanitarian situation has continued to deteriorate over the past three months. More than 3.5 million people have been displaced by the conflict, with 2.6 million internally displaced in Sudan and almost 750,000 crossing the border into neighboring countries.
The Health Cluster team in Sudan, coordinated by WHO, has reported that 75% of Khartoum’s health facilities are non-functional. In addition, there have been 53 attacks on health care operations in the country since April 15, including attacks on health facilities, personnel, warehouses, and transport.
Project HOPE’s partners in Sudan have reported that health providers in Khartoum are overworked, unpaid, underfed, and living inside hospitals in an effort to support their communities. Of additional concern are the reports that health workers have been targeted by the warring forces for interrogation or worse.
The number of sexual violence and GBV incidents has increased dramatically as community safeguards for women and children have broken down due to the violence. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has stated that nearly 100 reports of sexual violence against women and girls have been reported by Sudan’s Ministry of Social Development, but the true numbers are expected to be much higher as shame, fear of retaliation, and the chaos of war prevent many survivors from reporting and/or seeking care. With more than 3.5 million people displaced, many women and children are living in informal settlements and other situations that put them at an increased risk of sexual violence and GBV. Additionally, with limited access to food and water, women and children are forced to travel farther than usual to secure essential resources, which also increases their risk of harm.
Project HOPE’s local partner, NADA, has been operating a GBV hotline and providing mental health counseling and case management services to survivors of gender-based violence. NADA has identified GBV as a significant threat throughout this crisis and reports working with at least one family that lost a loved one to suicide who was raped. This is of grave concern as the nearly 4.2 million women and girls affected by the conflict are at an increased risk of gender-based violence (GBV).