Darfur – Sudan Now | 31 March 2026
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) revealed in a recent report that more than 3,396 cases of sexual violence were recorded between January 2024 and November 2025 at its supported health facilities in North and South Darfur states. The organization confirmed that 97% of survivors are women and girls, describing the phenomenon as a defining feature of the conflict in the region.
The report, based on medical data and survivor testimonies, indicated that the actual numbers may be much higher due to limited access to victims and fear of reporting.
It noted that over 95% of perpetrators in North Darfur were identified as armed, non-civilian individuals, while the figure in South Darfur stood at 68%, with a limited number of cases involving civilians or intimate partners.
Survivor testimonies indicated that the perpetrators of these violations were members of the RSF and allied armed groups, including incidents of mass rape and assaults occurring during displacement, in villages, in IDP camps, and along public roads.
Data showed that 59% of cases in South Darfur involved assaults carried out by multiple perpetrators, while children represented a concerning share of victims, with 20% of survivors under the age of 18.
The report also documented that the assaults occurred in various contexts, including while collecting firewood and water or during travel, with 522 survivors (22%) reporting attacks during daily activities and 803 cases (34%) occurring while working or moving between areas.
The report linked the surge in these violations to military events, particularly following the fall of Al Fashir in October 2025, noting that the organization’s teams treated more than 140 cases of women and girls who fled the city in November 2025, with cases continuing to rise in the subsequent months.
In the Tawila town, located about 60 kilometers from Al Fashir, the organization’s facilities have become a primary center for receiving survivors, amid a large influx of displaced people from the Zamzam and Al Fashir camps.
The report indicated that the violations were not limited to rape but also included beating, threats, detention, torture, and sexual enslavement, describing a pattern of systematic violence aimed at intimidation and humiliation.
The report attributed the worsening of this phenomenon to the collapse of protection systems and the absence of accountability, alongside a lack of medical and psychological services, with social barriers such as stigma and fear of reprisal preventing many victims from seeking help.
It also highlighted significant gaps in protection and care services, including limited access to medical treatment and psychosocial support, weak referral pathways, and a shortage of safe spaces, particularly in displacement areas.
The organization called on all parties to the conflict to immediately halt the violations, strengthen civilian protection, expand medical and psychosocial services, ensure accountability, and increase funding while improving humanitarian access in Darfur.
International organizations have repeatedly warned of the deteriorating humanitarian situation in the region, noting rising rates of violence against civilians, including attacks on women and children, amid limited international response and complex challenges to humanitarian access.
