The regional director of the Horn of Africa Women’s Initiative, Hala Al-Karib, warned about the ongoing insecurity in Sudan, emphasizing that the country remains completely unsafe for civilians to return, despite the army reclaiming control over certain areas.
In a televised interview, Al-Karib explained that the army had managed to expel the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) from Al-Jazira State, parts of northern Blue Nile, and sections of Khartoum. However, the infrastructure has been entirely destroyed, making it difficult for displaced civilians to return due to the lack of basic services and the prevailing chaos in central Sudan.
Al-Karib criticized the international community’s neglect of the Sudanese crisis, pointing out that Sudanese women and civilians are enduring horrific violations with insufficient attention from the international community.
She revealed that the two-year-long war has led to hundreds of thousands of deaths, while women face widespread threats due to systematic sexual violence. She confirmed that her organization alone has documented more than 350 confirmed cases of rape, with another 500 cases under investigation, suggesting that the actual number is likely much higher.
She added that sexual violence has been systematically used in certain areas, with women subjected to brutal assaults inside their homes.
Furthermore, Al-Karib stressed that Sudanese women lack access to reproductive healthcare and psychological support, as no assistance has been provided to them over the past two years.
She called for urgent international action to address the humanitarian crisis in Sudan and emphasized the need to highlight the ongoing suffering of women amid severe human rights violations.
