Two years of war in Sudan: The world’s worst humanitarian crisis for women and girls
Sudan’s civil war is now the world’s worst humanitarian crisis for women and girls. They make up more than half of the 12 million people displaced and many are being deliberately targeted with sexual violence.
As of December 2024, Sudan saw a staggering 288 per cent increase in demand for gender-based violence services. An estimated 12.1 million people, or 25 per cent of the population, are at risk of gender-based violence.
Today, more than half of Sudan’s population, 30 million people, need humanitarian assistance, including 7.5 million women and 16 million children.
Women peace champions who are often on the front lines, negotiating safe passage for people fleeing violence, providing lifesaving aid, and advocating for peace, have been excluded from diplomatic peace talks. As the crisis deepens, local women’s organizations that already received less than 2 per cent from the Sudan Humanitarian Fund, need urgent help.
UN Women is on the ground, working with more than 60 local women-led organizations to support women in some of the hardest hit areas and to ensure their leadership is central to all peace efforts.
The impact of Sudan’s war on women, two years on
As the conflict in Sudan deepens, women and girls are facing unimaginable risks—from rising gender-based violence to the erosion of essential services. This explainer unpacks how the war is affecting women and girls, and what UN Women is doing to support them.
