Overview
- U.N. Women reported on Friday that daytime drone strikes on water points have forced many women and girls to fetch water after dark, exposing them to widespread harassment, rape and other sexual violence.
- The U.N. human rights chief has warned civilians in al-Obeid have lived under siege-like conditions for about 18 months with severe shortages of clean water, food and healthcare.
- Two-thirds of women-led organizations surveyed by U.N. Women said safe spaces and gender-based violence services have closed or been sharply reduced because of funding cuts, leaving survivors with few local options.
- U.N. Women estimates 12.7 million women and girls across Sudan need GBV support this year, a fourfold increase since the war began, and relief workers expect especially high needs in al-Obeid, which holds about 500,000 people, roughly 70% women and children.
- U.N. bodies have opened urgent inquiries and called for humanitarian corridors and accountability as continued drone use and arms flows deepen the protection collapse and complicate efforts to reach trapped civilians.