‘Beating and rape for us, death for men’: MSF warns of widespread sexual violence in Darfur

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF/Doctors Without Borders) warned today that women and girls in Sudan’s Darfur region face a near-constant risk of sexual violence, as a new report reveals grim statistics in South Darfur. Between January 2024 and March 2025, MSF provided care to 659 survivors of sexual violence in the state alone.

In a report today, MSF says that victims and survivors speaking with their teams in Darfur and Chad described experiences of severe violence and rape. The organisation noted that men and boys are also at risk, characterising the scale of suffering as “beyond comprehension.”

The prevalence of sexual violence in Darfur is such that many reportedly speak of it as an inevitable occurrence. “Some people came at night to rape women and steal everything,” a woman recounted to an MSF team in West Darfur. “I heard some women being raped at night. The men were hiding in the bathrooms or in some rooms where they could close the doors. The women didn’t hide because what we were exposed to was just beatings and rape, whilst the men were killed.”

The data indicates a high prevalence of sexual violence. According to the report, 86 percent of these survivors reported they had been raped, and 94 percent of all survivors were women and girls. 31 percent of survivors treated were under 18 years old, 7 percent were under 10, and 2.6 percent were under five. Additionally, 56 percent of survivors stated their assailants were non-civilians.

The risk of assault is not confined to attacks on villages or during displacement, MSF noted. People also reported being assaulted whilst undertaking journeys for basic necessities or working in high-risk locations. Others, due to safety concerns, avoid these activities, which affects their income and access to resources like water, food, and healthcare. However, MSF indicated that staying home does not guarantee safety.

MSF found that 55 percent of survivors experienced additional physical violence during their assault. Many reported facing significant risk during essential daily activities, with 34 percent subjected to sexual violence whilst working in or travelling to agricultural fields.

These statistics likely underestimate the true extent of sexual violence in South Darfur, MSF stated, noting that the actual scale of the situation is difficult to determine due to limited services and difficulties people face in seeking treatment or speaking out.

“Women and girls do not feel safe anywhere. They are attacked in their homes, whilst fleeing violence, whilst getting food, collecting firewood, and whilst working in the fields. They tell us they feel trapped,” stated Claire San Filippo, MSF’s emergency coordinator. “These attacks are horrific and cruel, and often involve multiple perpetrators. This must stop.”

San Filippo added: “Sexual violence is not a natural or inevitable consequence of war; it can constitute a war crime, a form of torture, and a crime against humanity. Warring parties must hold their combatants accountable and protect people from this abhorrent violence. Services for survivors must be immediately expanded so they can access the medical treatment and psychological care they desperately need.”