Port Sudan/Khartoum — An estimated 12.7 million people in Sudan urgently require gender-based violence (GBV) prevention and response services in 2026, amid ongoing armed conflict, mass displacement, and worsening economic and humanitarian conditions, according to an assessment by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), titled Turning Evidence into Action.
The report is based on 95 focus group discussions conducted across 16 states and 39 localities, involving internally displaced people (IDPs), host communities, and refugees. It examines the risks facing women and girls and their access to protection services.
Growing Risks in Everyday Life
The assessment shows that women and girls face increasing security risks while carrying out daily activities and moving between locations, including sexual harassment, rape, kidnapping, physical assault, and theft.
Some 67% of women and girls reported feeling unsafe in everyday community locations, while the figure rose to 93% when traveling to or visiting essential service delivery points.
Displacement camps were identified as among the most unsafe environments, with 62% of respondents reporting that they felt unsafe there due to overcrowding, lack of privacy, and the presence of armed groups or unfamiliar men. Markets followed at 55%.
Transit routes, particularly those used to collect firewood, were identified as a source of significant risk by 48% of respondents. Water collection points were cited by 35%, while 22% identified unlit latrines as unsafe, amid poor lighting, overcrowding, and inadequate gender separation.
Women and Girls Face Different Levels of Risk
The assessment found variations in perceived safety across age groups. Seventy-six percent of women aged 25 to 49 reported feeling unsafe, particularly while working in fields, visiting markets, or obtaining essential supplies.
Meanwhile, 67% of girls aged 15 to 17 reported experiencing unsafe conditions, with risks linked to schools, displacement camps, and movement after dark.
The report also highlights widespread underreporting of violence, driven by social stigma, fear of retaliation by perpetrators, limited access to transportation, and a lack of trust in some legal and community mechanisms.
Risks of Female Genital Mutilation
The assessment also examined the risk of female genital mutilation (FGM), with 93% of respondents identifying girls under the age of 14 as the group most at risk.
According to respondents, mothers and grandmothers play a significant role in decisions surrounding FGM, with more than 70% identifying them as key decision-makers within families.
More than 73% of respondents reported that families may face moderate to severe social pressure or stigma if they choose not to practice FGM. Meanwhile, more than 60% of communities surveyed reported that FGM is practiced in at least half of local families.
High Satisfaction with Services, but Significant Access Gaps
Despite the availability of protection services, 75% of women and girls surveyed reported being satisfied with the services provided, including healthcare, psychosocial support, safe spaces, and legal assistance.
However, approximately 21% expressed dissatisfaction, citing service disruptions linked to funding cuts and geographical access challenges.
In some areas, funding shortages have resulted in the closure of skills workshops in Women and Girls Safe Spaces (WGSS), while respondents in River Nile State reported an absence of active services.
Some 27% of respondents said that the most vulnerable groups continue to be excluded or face greater barriers to accessing assistance and essential services. These groups include older women, persons with disabilities, female- and child-headed households, and some displaced populations.
Economic Empowerment Emerges as a Priority
Alongside protection services, economic empowerment emerged as a key priority, with 74% of women and girls surveyed identifying it as their most important need.
Participants called for vocational training and income-generating opportunities to be integrated into protection programs, including training in tailoring, soap-making, food processing, and computer skills. Such initiatives could help strengthen women's and girls' economic independence and resilience.
UNFPA's 2026 Action Plan
Based on the assessment's findings, UNFPA has developed a 2026 action plan focused on three main areas.
The first involves expanding GBV prevention and response programs through mobile protection teams to reach isolated areas, improving lighting in high-risk locations, providing safer transportation options, and implementing awareness campaigns addressing FGM.
The second focuses on integrating protection into multi-sector humanitarian responses, including safety assessments at aid distribution sites, strengthening staff training on codes of conduct, and developing safe mechanisms for delivering information to communities.
The third focuses on coordination and leadership, including strengthening regional coordination mechanisms, expanding feedback and complaints channels, and advocating for additional international funding to address critical gaps in protection services.
In 2025, UNFPA protection programs reached 106 of Sudan's 188 localities, working alongside 33 partners within the Gender-Based Violence Area of Responsibility.
The assessment concludes that addressing the protection crisis requires more than emergency assistance. It calls for improved access to services, greater safety in public spaces and service delivery locations, and stronger support for the economic independence of women and girls.
