76% of Sudanese Women Feel Unsafe Amid Rising Violence and Funding Shortfalls

Moatinoon – Follow-ups
“Women and girls across Sudan continue to recount ongoing experiences of danger; gender-based violence has become part of their daily lives—whether along the roads as they attempt to flee the ongoing conflict, or upon arrival at displacement camps.”

This was stated by Fabrizia Falcioni, Representative of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in Sudan, during a briefing to journalists in New York on Friday—via video link from Khartoum—where she highlighted the deteriorating conditions facing women and girls in the country, noting that women “feel unsafe wherever they are.”

This assessment is based on a study conducted by UNFPA involving around 1,000 women and girls across 16 of Sudan’s 18 states. The findings showed that 76% of women aged 25 to 49 feel unsafe, both داخل and outside displacement sites, including in markets, water points, firewood collection areas, and along roads—especially at night.

Key statistics from the study:
76% of women (aged 25–49) feel unsafe
Hundreds of cases of sexual violence go unreported due to stigma and fear
88 safe spaces for women and girls are run by the UN
Only 14% of protection sector funding has been secured
Only 11% of health sector funding has been secured
Economic empowerment is a top priority for most women

“The road to safety is not safe”
Falcioni explained that most of the women she met during field visits to several states—including Khartoum, White Nile, Blue Nile, and Northern states—“have lived under bombardment and armed conflict for many months,” noting that many have been displaced multiple times, in some cases up to four times over three years of war.

She added that women have either experienced or witnessed “tremendous violence” affecting their families and communities, stressing that “the road to safety is not safe at all.” Along the way, they face harassment, sexual and physical violence, as well as shortages of food and water, and their sense of insecurity continues even after reaching displacement sites.

Describing conditions داخل camps, she said: “I visited camps across Sudan, and it was clear that the overwhelming majority of residents are women, girls, and children. They are forced—including pregnant women—to walk at night in complete darkness to reach latrines, with no lighting at all.”

The UN official stressed that insecurity also affects daily life, noting that the “feeling of unsafety” is compounded by electricity outages and nighttime darkness in المدن. She added that reporting of gender-based violence remains limited due to stigma, fear of retaliation, financial constraints, and the remoteness of service centers.

Economic empowerment a top priority
When asked about priorities, Falcioni said that “three-quarters of the women indicated that economic empowerment and access to livelihoods are their top priority.” She emphasized that women want to return to their homes, including in the capital, Khartoum. They identified three key demands:
Access to basic services and healthcare
Access to schools, especially for their children
Opportunities to earn a living

She stressed that women “do not just want ready-made food aid, but opportunities that enable them to support their families themselves.”

She noted that UNFPA operates 88 safe spaces for women and girls in Sudan, providing places where they can seek support and services, despite challenges in sustaining them due to funding shortages.

Quoting one girl, she said: “Here, I feel safe, and I can spend time with my friends again, just like before the war.”

Funding falls short of needs
Regarding the humanitarian response, Falcioni expressed concern over funding gaps, noting that protection sector funding stands at only 14%, while health sector funding is just 11%.

“Although we repeatedly hear that this crisis is fundamentally a protection crisis affecting women and girls in particular, and also a health crisis, the available funding does not match the nature of the crisis or the needs on the ground,” she said.

Falcioni concluded by stressing the urgent need for increased international support, describing it as “a critically important message that the whole world must hear,” and calling for continued solidarity with the Sudanese people amid the ongoing crisis.