Sudan women appeal for relief as war continues
Smoke billows in Khartoum amid fighting between the forces of two rival generals, on May 15, 2023. The war is ongoing and women have now appealed for humanitarian aid.
What you need to know:
- The Peace for Sudan Platform is seeking help to cushion women, girls and children from hunger and health crisis.
- Millions of women and children in internally displaced persons’ camps are in great danger and staring at starvation.
Women in Sudan are seeking relief in the face of an ongoing conflict that could result in the world’s biggest displacement crisis.
Since the civil war broke out in April 2023, more than 7.3 million people have fled their homes, with women and children representing more than half of them.
Women are now appealing for urgent food and water donation and sexual and reproductive health commodities.
The Peace for Sudan Platform is seeking help to cushion women, girls and children from hunger and health crises.
The women’s group has been working on the frontline of response to the crisis.
Millions of women and children in internally displaced persons’ camps are in great danger and staring at starvation that could turn disastrous if not prevented.
Through a partnership with UN Women, the Women and Children Development Association has supplied displaced women and children with hygiene kits, water, household items, and other forms of humanitarian aid. They still lack many essentials.
In addition, UN Women has partnered with five major women’s organisations implementing an emergency humanitarian plan, in collaboration with local groups.
Between April 15 and November 15, 2023, some 163 local humanitarian partners provided about 4.9 million people with lifesaving assistance, and 5.7 million people received agricultural and livelihood support.
In one project, UN Women has worked with the Red Sea State Emergency Room to deliver aid to those most in need.
“One thousand hygiene kits were distributed to the internally displaced women during the month of December,” said Samira Muhammad Suleiman.
Suleiman is a volunteer lawyer with the Women Awareness Raising ‘Awoon’ group, which works with the emergency room programme.
Suleiman said the women are in dire need of these items given the sensitivity and specificity of the situation.
Insecurity, looting, bureaucratic impediments, poor phone connectivity, lack of cash, and limited technical and humanitarian staff are some of the challenges hampering delivery of humanitarian assistance.
Fuel and power shortages also affect the movement of humanitarian staff and supplies.
