UN Women Survey Highlights Ongoing Trauma Among Women Displaced from El Fasher

GENEVA — One year after the fall of El Fasher in North Darfur, women and girls displaced from the area continue to experience severe psychological distress, unsafe living conditions, and limited access to critical services, according to survey findings released by UN Women at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.

The assessment, which surveyed 50 women’s organizations supporting people displaced from El Fasher, found that 90 percent (45 organizations) reported persistent psychological distress among the women and girls they assist. Additionally, 48 of the 50 organizations noted that women suffer from sleeplessness due to past trauma, and nine in ten reported that displaced women and girls are currently living in unsafe environments.

According to remarks by Anna Mutavati, UN Women Regional Director for East and Southern Africa, around two-thirds of the organizations surveyed were aware of women or girls who disappeared during or after the fall of the city. Displaced populations face ongoing shortages of food, water, and healthcare, alongside the persistent trauma of sexual violence, bereavement, and property loss.

Access to essential support remains heavily constrained. The survey indicated that 43 out of 50 organizations encountered women or girls in distress who had received no mental health, psychosocial, or legal assistance since fleeing. Nearly half of the respondents stated that few or none of the women they work with could access such services. Furthermore, frontline service providers face threats of arrest and harassment while operating without institutional protection.

UN Women also noted broader risks across Sudan, citing an increase in drone attacks targeting displacement camps, markets, and civilian infrastructure across Blue Nile State, Khartoum, West Kordofan, Gedaref State, and Kassala State. The agency cited a UN Fact-Finding Mission finding that 80 percent of hospitals in conflict-affected regions are non-functional, contributing to an increase in maternal mortality and reduced sexual and reproductive healthcare access.

Citing data from the International Organization for Migration's 2026 Sudan Multi-Sectoral Needs Assessment, UN Women stated that 84 percent of 117 surveyed households in El Fasher reported women avoiding marketplaces due to fear of violence, while two-thirds avoided collecting firewood and half avoided social or religious spaces.

UN Women called for civilian protection, perpetrator accountability, compliance with international humanitarian and human rights law, and sustained funding and support for grassroots, women-led organizations operating on the front lines.

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