'The scale of sexual violence is horrific': MSF head of mission Amande Bazerolle • FRANCE 24

Key Concepts

• Sexual Violence in Conflict: Used as a systematic tool of war in Sudan, particularly targeting specific ethnic groups.
• MSF (Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders): An international medical humanitarian organization providing emergency healthcare in conflict zones.
• Administrative/Security Impediments: Barriers preventing humanitarian aid, including government-imposed restrictions and active combat zones.
• Stigma: A major psychological and social barrier preventing survivors, particularly men, from seeking medical care.
• Humanitarian Underfunding: A critical lack of financial resources limiting the scope of medical and psychological support for displaced populations.

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1. Scale and Nature of the Crisis

A new report from MSF highlights that sexual violence has become a "hallmark" of the ongoing conflict in Sudan, which is approaching its fourth anniversary.

• Data: In 2024 and 2025, nearly 3,400 survivors of sexual violence sought care at MSF facilities in North and South Darfur.
• Demographics: 97% of those seeking care were women and girls.
• Perpetrators: The vast majority of attacks are committed by armed groups, specifically identified as the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and their allies.
• Targeting: Attacks are often ethnically motivated, specifically targeting the Fur, Masalit, and Zaghawa populations.
• Modus Operandi: Approximately 60% of survivors reported being attacked by more than one perpetrator. Attacks frequently occur during escalations of fighting, while families are fleeing, or during daily survival tasks like fetching wood or food.

2. Barriers to Healthcare and Reporting

Amand Baserel, Deputy Emergency Operation Manager for Sudan, emphasizes that the reported figures are merely a "drop in the ocean" due to several factors:

• Access and Security: Active sieges (e.g., Al-Fashir) and the destruction of camps (e.g., Zamzam camp) prevent survivors from reaching clinics.
• Administrative Impediments: The Sudanese government imposes restrictions that hinder the implementation of sexual violence programs, particularly in the eastern part of the country.
• Stigma: High levels of social stigma prevent survivors from coming forward. This is particularly acute for men, who are even less likely to seek help than women.
• Survival Priorities: For displaced populations, immediate survival (food and water) takes precedence over medical care. Malnutrition is rampant, with over 30% of pregnant women treated by MSF in Tawila suffering from malnutrition.

3. MSF Operational Framework and Challenges

MSF’s response is constrained by both funding and the volatile security environment.

• Medical Interventions: MSF provides essential post-assault care, including prevention drugs for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and Hepatitis B.
• Psychological Support: This remains severely underfunded. MSF has only recently begun implementing psychological care programs in areas like Tawila after more than a year of operations.
• Staff Risks: While international staff take risks, the burden falls heavily on Sudanese colleagues who are simultaneously victims of the conflict and the primary providers of care.
• Scope of Displacement: The crisis has resulted in 9 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) within Sudan, with a total of 14 million people affected as the crisis spills over into neighboring Chad, South Sudan, and Egypt.

4. Notable Quotes

• "The scale of devastation inflicted on civilians in Darfur is difficult to comprehend amid an even longer history of repeated cycles of violence and atrocity." — Reflecting the MSF report findings.
• "It’s impossible for us to have a real overview of the number of people. We just know that when we are doing some community-based activities, there are much more people who are reporting having been abused than the ones that actually come to the clinic." — Amand Baserel on the underreporting of sexual violence.

5. Synthesis and Conclusion

The situation in Sudan represents a catastrophic humanitarian failure where sexual violence is being utilized as a weapon of war against specific ethnic groups. Despite MSF’s efforts to provide life-saving medical and preventative care, their impact is severely limited by a lack of global funding, government-imposed administrative barriers, and the extreme insecurity of the region. The crisis is characterized by a cycle of violence that forces survivors to prioritize immediate survival over medical recovery, while deep-seated stigma ensures that the true scale of the trauma remains largely hidden from the international community.