Sudan is witnessing the devastating human toll of ongoing conflict as UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk makes his first official visit to the country since November 2022.
Türk toured regions heavily affected by fighting between rival military forces, including western Darfur and Kordofan, meeting families displaced from their homes. Millions of Sudanese continue to suffer as clashes devastate communities and uproot entire families.
During his visit, the UN rights chief said he was profoundly shaken by the testimonies of survivors, particularly women and girls who endured sexual violence. He described encountering nine individuals whose accounts he called “horrific,” noting he had rarely seen people so deeply traumatized.
The survivors recounted being subjected to gang rape in the Darfur city of El-Fasher while attempting to flee violence. Male relatives, including brothers and sons, were reportedly killed in front of them.
Since the outbreak of the conflict, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has documented widespread sexual violence being used as a weapon of war. Reported abuses include rape, gang rape, abduction, and sexual slavery, often targeted along ethnic lines or based on perceived affiliations with opposing forces.
Türk emphasized the urgent need for accountability and protection for civilians caught in the conflict, warning that impunity for such abuses only deepens the trauma and suffering endured by Sudanese communities.
The UN rights chief’s visit highlights the ongoing humanitarian and human rights crisis in Sudan, as the international community grapples with one of the most severe conflicts in the region.
