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A new report by medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) describes sexual violence as a "defining feature" of Sudan's nearly three-year civil war, with survivors detailing assaults by paramilitary forces as they fled, sought food, or simply walked home. The report, titled "There is something I want to tell you...": Surviving the sexual violence crisis in Darfur, draws on testimony from survivors and data from MSF medical programs across North and South Darfur.

Between January 2024 and November 2025, at least 3,396 victims and survivors of sexual violence sought treatment in MSF-supported facilities in those two states, according to the report. Women and girls accounted for 97% of those treated, MSF said, though the organization stressed that the figures represent only a fraction of the true scale, as many victims cannot safely reach care.

Coverage Comparison

The report was covered by multiple outlets, including Al Jazeera, France 24, RFI, and AllAfrica. Al Jazeera focused on individual survivor stories, opening with the account of Hanaan, an 18-year-old who said she was raped by four men on motorbikes in South Darfur and beaten with their guns. France 24 and RFI highlighted the report's finding that sexual violence has become a "hallmark" of the conflict, while AllAfrica framed the crisis around the scale of devastation in Darfur and the role of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and allied militias.

A separate UN Women report, released as the war enters its fourth year, added a broader regional perspective, drawing on evidence from 85 women-led organizations across Sudan. It found that the number of women and girls requiring support after experiencing gender-based violence has nearly doubled in two years and quadrupled since the war began.

Key Claims

  • MSF reports that at least 3,396 survivors of sexual violence sought treatment in North and South Darfur between January 2024 and November 2025, with women and girls representing 97% of those treated.
  • MSF and multiple outlets state that the RSF and allied militias are using sexual violence as a "weapon of war" to control civilians.
  • UN Women reports that more than 4.3 million women and girls are now displaced inside Sudan, and that two-thirds of women front-line responders reported a significant increase in sexual violence in 2025.
  • MSF data includes children among the survivors, with 41 children younger than five treated at their facilities, a detail reported by Al Jazeera but not included in other outlets' coverage.

Perspectives

MSF / Medical Humanitarian Perspective

MSF emphasizes that sexual violence is not confined to front lines but persists far beyond them, making it a "pervasive and defining feature" of the conflict. The organization calls for protection, care, and justice for survivors, and warns that the documented cases are only a fraction of the true numbers.

UN Women / Advocacy Perspective

UN Women frames the crisis as a systemic failure, with sexual violence "embedded in the blueprint" of the war. They call for accountability for perpetrators and a major scale-up in funding for women-led front-line response, warning that blockades and instability are compounding violations.

Survivor/Community Perspective

Survivor testimonies, such as Hanaan's, reveal the personal toll of the violence. "I feel uncomfortable in my body, heavy. I don't feel pain, apart from in my back – because they beat me, they beat me with their guns on my back," she told MSF. Women in Darfur are demanding protection, care, and justice as the violence continues both in conflict zones and beyond.

Context and Caveats

The conflict between the Sudanese army and the RSF has been ongoing since April 2023, killing tens of thousands and displacing at least 13 million people, according to multiple sources. The MSF data covers only two of Sudan's 18 states, and the organization notes that the true scale of sexual violence remains unknown. The UN Women report cites survey data from women-led organizations, which may reflect perceptions of increase rather than verified incident counts. No outlet has independently verified the figures or the attribution of responsibility to the RSF, and the Sudanese army has not responded to these allegations in the coverage reviewed.