The Situation
Since 15 April 2023, Sudan’s civil war has spiralled into one of the fastest-growing humanitarian catastrophes in modern history.
- 30.4 million people now need urgent assistance.
- Over 11 million have been displaced.
- 623 attacks on health facilities; 70–80% of hospitals are non-functional.
- Nearly 4 million children are malnourished
These figures are conservative. Countless cases remain unreported.
Across Darfur, Khartoum, Gezira, and beyond, civilians especially women and girls, face relentless violence, starvation, and disease. Entire communities have vanished within days, and aid routes remain blocked or looted. Sexual and gender-based violence is widespread, and survivors have little access to food, medical care, or safety. Without urgent action, Sudan risks becoming the world’s largest humanitarian disaster, where survival itself becomes resistance.
Impact on Women
This war has been called “a war on the bodies of women and girls.” Verified reports reveal patterns of:
- Rape, gang-rape, and abductions, often in front of family members.
- “Sex for aid”, where food and jobs are exchanged for sexual acts.
- Forced marriage and trafficking, driven by poverty and displacement.
In Chad’s refugee camps, Sudanese women recount being exploited for money, food, or work opportunities.
One 27-year-old mother from Darfur, holding her 7-week-old baby, said:
The children were crying. We ran out of food. He abused my situation.
Others describe being approached by men posing as aid staff or security officers, promising help in exchange for sex. In Gezira, activists have even documented suicides following sexual violence. Alongside assault comes deprivation: no food, no clean water, no shelter, no maternal care. Girls are pulled from school, and the trauma physical and psychological. Deepens each day.
Safe Aid and Accountability
In crises like Sudan, how aid is delivered can mean the difference between protection and exploitation. At Forgotten Women, we deliver Safe Aid. Designed and led by women, for women ensuring that help never becomes harm. Every part of our response is built on dignity, safety, and trust. We operate through women-only teams and secure distribution points, with discreet household delivery for widows, unaccompanied girls, and survivors.
There are no middlemen, no hidden conditions, no exploitation. We enforce strict codes of conduct and a zero-tolerance policy for abuse or coercion. Women can report concerns confidentially through anonymous boxes, phone, or SMS routes, and we work with trusted partners to investigate and support survivors.
Because true aid protects.
Reports of “sex for aid” are a deep failure of humanitarian duty. A betrayal of the very people relief is meant to serve. We design our operations so no woman ever has to *pay* for survival. Not with her body, her silence, or her child’s safety.
Aid must never become another weapon. Our model makes sure it doesn’t.
What Your Support Provides
- Emergency Aid Pack — £60Food staples, hygiene supplies, and dignity kits (pads, underwear, soap).
- Water Tanker — £5008,000 litres of safe water for displaced families and host communities.
- Hot Meals – £50Provide 25 people with a nutritious hot meal.
Every delivery is woman-to-woman, verified, and adapted to local risk.
Our Promise
We measure success not by how much aid we deliver but by how safely it reaches the women who need it most. No conditions. No coercion. No exploitation. Because in Sudan, as everywhere we work, survival should never cost a woman her dignity.