Sudanese Women in El Obeid Caught Between Drone Attacks by Day and Sexual Violence by Night

UN Women said on Friday that women and girls in the Sudanese city of El Obeid are being forced to choose between two grave dangers: the threat of drone attacks during the day and the risk of sexual violence at night when they leave their homes to fetch water in the besieged city.

Residents of El Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan State, continue to face severe difficulties in accessing food and healthcare. Earlier this month, Volker Türk, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, warned of an impending humanitarian catastrophe as fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) intensifies.

One of the World’s Worst Humanitarian Crises

The war, now in its fourth year, has triggered one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, with widespread reports of conflict-related sexual violence and other serious human rights abuses.

Speaking to journalists in Geneva via video link from Nairobi, Anna Mutavati, UN Women’s Regional Director for East and Southern Africa, said:

«”These women and girls have been subjected to harassment, rape, and other forms of sexual violence while trying to collect water, which is a basic necessity of life and a fundamental human right.”»

Severe Water Shortages

Volker Türk said civilians in El Obeid have endured conditions resembling a siege for the past 18 months, facing severe shortages of safe drinking water while remaining under constant threat of drone attacks.

He warned that the city could witness the same serious violations that occurred in El Fasher, North Darfur State, last year.

UN Women stated that there is no safe time for women and girls to collect water in El Obeid.

The agency noted that attacks on water sources during daylight hours have forced many women to fetch water after dark, exposing them to harassment, rape, and other forms of sexual violence.

International Funding Cuts

According to UN Women, approximately 12.7 million women and girls across Sudan will require gender-based violence response services this year alone—four times the number recorded at the start of the conflict.

The agency said it does not have city-specific data for El Obeid, but noted that the city is home to approximately 500,000 people, around 70 percent of whom are women and children. It warned that the need for support to address sexual violence is expected to increase significantly.

UN Women also said that reductions in international funding for women’s organizations are severely limiting the assistance available. According to a United Nations survey in Sudan, nearly two-thirds of women’s organizations reported that safe spaces and gender-based violence response services had either closed or been significantly reduced.