Highlighted by the gender equality agency UN Women, Sudanese women are stepping up as frontline responders while enduring severe hardships as the war between the Rapid Support Forces and the Sudanese Armed Forces triggers a massive humanitarian crisis. When the conflict erupted on April 15, 2023, journalist and activist Tahani Al-Numeiri found herself trapped under siege in Khartoum, where communication collapsed and essential supplies vanished, forcing residents to eat boiled wheat and burn furniture for warmth. Al-Numeiri fell critically ill from malnutrition, contaminated water, and a lack of medical care, but survived the ordeal. After government troops retook Khartoum in March 2025, she began volunteering at a communal kitchen and filming viral videos documenting the plight of women and children, remarking that she feels like a warrior on the frontlines.
Siege and violence in El Fasher
Hundreds of miles away in southwest Khartoum, the city of El Fasher faced an RSF siege in October 2025. Amna Mohamed, president of a women-led, UN-supported organization providing meals and financial aid in North Darfur, chose to stay and help those unable to flee due to caring for elderly relatives, disabled persons, or lacking transportation money. Mohamed emphasized that women were the first to suffer severe violence, including beatings, rapes, looting, forced evictions, and the killing or abduction of family members. She noted that while women-led groups are best positioned to serve female populations due to their close relationships and understanding of needs, project funding frequently goes to male-led organizations.
Returning home to trauma and support
Thousands of women are now returning to Khartoum after years of displacement across Sudan and neighboring countries, only to find their houses looted and stripped down to the walls and windows. Israa Hamid Khalil, a psychological support officer at the UN Women-supported East Nile Women’s Empowerment Centre, explained that women returned with nothing and face painful trauma. The center provides counseling, psychological care, training, and livelihood support to help them earn an income and begin recovering. Meanwhile, UN human rights chief Volker Türk strongly condemned an escalation in drone strikes that killed at least 306 people and injured hundreds during the first three weeks of October, while international talks to halt the fighting and achieve a ceasefire continued in Geneva on Wednesday with nearly two dozen countries convening.
Source: Cosmo News Desk
