The crisis in El Obeid illustrates how armed conflict exacerbates gender inequalities and exposes women to multiple risks. When access to water, food, and healthcare becomes a daily struggle for survival, sexual violence, compounded by bombings, becomes a veritable weapon of terror. This reality demands urgent action from the international community to protect civilians, support local organizations, and ensure respect for international humanitarian law.

In El Obeid, in Sudan’s North Kordofan State, women are paying a heavy price for the ongoing conflict. According to UN Women, accessing water has become a matter of survival. By day, water collection points are targeted by drone strikes. By night, women and girls who attempt to reach them face harassment, sexual assault, and rape.

This situation reflects the worsening humanitarian crisis that has gripped Sudan since the outbreak of the conflict in April 2023. The fighting has displaced more than 14 million people, destroyed critical infrastructure, and severely limited access to clean water, food, and healthcare.

The situation in El Obeid highlights a deeply alarming reality: in today’s armed conflicts, women are not merely collateral victims but are increasingly targeted by multiple forms of violence. When access to water, food, or healthcare exposes civilians to airstrikes or sexual violence, fundamental human rights are gravely undermined.

HRA reiterates that protecting civilian populations, particularly women and children, is a legal obligation under international humanitarian law. It calls on all parties to the conflict to respect these obligations, cease attacks against essential civilian infrastructure, and take immediate measures to prevent all forms of conflict-related sexual violence.

Human Rights Agency also urges the international community to increase its financial and political support for local women’s organizations, which play a vital role in protecting survivors, delivering humanitarian assistance, and strengthening community resilience. Without a stronger international commitment to civilian protection and an inclusive, lasting peace process, Sudan’s humanitarian crisis will continue to deepen, with devastating consequences for the country and the wider region.