Sudan Crisis: Accountability and Women’s Plight

Sudan’s war leaves millions displaced as women face rising violence, hunger, and exploitation (image source)

Eighteen months of armed conflict have plunged Sudan into the world’s largest humanitarian crisis, with over 7 million people internally displaced and acute shortages of food, water and medical care. Yet despite allegations that the UAE has funded parties to the conflict, calls for accountability have waned, leaving women and children disproportionately imperiled.

According to UN Women, gender-based violence cases doubled since April 2023, affecting 6.7 million women and girls, while 64 percent of female-headed households face severe food insecurity compared to 48 percent of male-headed households. Despite contributing over US $10 million in regional aid, including USD 10.25 million to support Sudanese refugees in Chad, the UAE has not been pressured to ensure its assistance is human-rights conditional.

The African Development Bank reports that critical infrastructure has collapsed, leaving two-thirds of hospitals non-functional and water systems in ruins. Women and girls, who comprise 80 percent of internally displaced populations, endure long treks for potable water and face heightened risks of sexual exploitation along supply routes.

“While the UAE’s financial pledges receive praise, there is scant scrutiny of where funds go and who benefits on the ground. Women’s safety and autonomy should be non-negotiable benchmarks for aid.”– Dr. Leila Salem, Amnesty International

In September 2024, the UAE pledged USD 10.25 million at a Paris donors’ conference to support refugee women in Chad, funding maternal health, food security and psychosocial services. Yet Sudanese women remain trapped in camps with limited legal protection and few livelihood prospects, highlighting gaps between pledges and local realities.

Humanitarian coordinators urge donor governments to tie aid disbursement to independent oversight and gender-sensitive protection measures. Key questions linger: Will the UAE accept binding human-rights clauses? Can UN agencies enforce safe-passage corridors for women? And will the international community elevate accountability over diplomacy?

As Sudan’s conflict rages, the plight of its most vulnerable hinges not only on the scale of resources, but on the insistence that donors uphold transparency and safeguard women and children from the very violence their contributions are meant to alleviate.