As conflict rages across Sudan, armed men are raping and sexually assaulting children, including some infants as young as one, according to the UN children’s agency (UNICEF). Data from gender-based violence service providers in Sudan reveals the scale of the horror: more than 220 reported cases of child rape since the start of 2024. “Children as young as one being raped by armed men should shock anyone to their core and compel immediate action,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell. But these figures only scratch the surface, as survivors and their families often remain silent due to stigma, lack of services and fear of retribution from armed groups. A war crime unfolding Sexual violence is being weaponised in Sudan’s conflict, putting millions of children at risk. The brutal reality of this violence, and the fear of falling victim to it, is pushing women and girls to leave their homes and...

El Manshiya / East Nile / Khartoum — The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) claim to have occupied the eastern side of the strategic El Manshiya Bridge, which spans the Blue Nile east of the Sudan capital Khartoum this morning. In an official video communiqué on Tuesday, the SAF command says that they have established a position on the eastern bank of the bridge that connects the East Nile and Khartoum, and importantly, Khartoum airport. The SAF assert that this development has cut off supply lines and communication between the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Bahri and East Nile with Khartoum. The announcement follows one last week, in which the SAF claimed to have established a bridgehead on the east bank of the Nile at the strategic Soba Bridge. On Sunday, the intelligence service released videos showing soldiers of the RSF were targeted by artillery shelling in the body of the...

UNICEF calls for urgent international efforts to protect and support children in Sudan NEW YORK, 4 March 2025 – Armed men are raping and sexually assaulting children, including infants as young as one, amid the nationwide conflict rippling across Sudan. Data compiled by gender-based violence service providers in Sudan paint a searing picture of the crisis children are being subjected to; 221 rape cases against children were recorded since the beginning of 2024*. These figures represent only a small fraction of total cases. Survivors and their families are often unwilling or unable to come forward due to challenges accessing services, and frontline workers, fear of the stigma they could face, the fear of rejection from their family or community, the fear of retribution from armed groups or fear of confidentiality breaches. “Children as young as one being raped by armed men should shock anyone to their core and compel immediate...

Addis Ababa — The pressing need to accelerate the establishment of a Nile Basin Commission topped the issues at this year’s Nile Day celebrations on Feb. 22 in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa. President Taye Atskesilassie of Ethiopia, who was chief guest at the regional celebrations, led the chorus saying the Nile Basin countries should remain resolute in their commitment to cooperation and to work towards establishing a permanent Nile River organisation. “This organisation would provide a strong institutional framework for coordinated management, dispute resolution, and long-term strategic planning for our shared waters,” he said. Habtamu Itefa, the Ethiopian Minister of Water and Energy noted that one of the biggest achievements for the Nile Basin countries will be working together to transition the Nile Basin Initiative (NBI), the institution that has been running the affairs of the 10 riparian countries of the Nile Basin since 1999, into a commission. “We...

Amsterdam — Dabanga – Radio TV Online serves all of Sudan, and Sudanese communities in neighbouring countries, reaching millions of people through shortwave radio, satellite television, its website, and social media. To help us improve and better meet your needs, Dabanga has launched a survey to gather insights into your experience, opinions, and preferences. Dabanga aims to provide trusted information. We check all facts, work to include all views in our reporting, and no-one tells Dabanga what to do. As the results become known, we will publish a selection of the best comments (anonymously) here. You can complete the survey in either English or Arabic (see the pull-down option at the top). It will take approximately 10-15 minutes to complete, and your responses will remain completely confidential and anonymous. There are no right or wrong answers; we are interested in your honest opinions. You may skip any questions you are...

Sudan has been hit hard by the United States’ decision to suspend development aid to the poorest countries. The country has been plunged into a destructive war since April 2023. Despite this, the Trump administration intends to end the budget of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), which it has currently suspended for 90 days. A critical freeze for this country. The impact of the recent US decision to suspend humanitarian and development aid to the poorest countries is already being felt in Sudan. Many NGOs have expressed their opposition and concern over the US decision. According to the UN, thirty million people, more than half of the Sudanese population, are suffering from hunger and need emergency assistance. Global aid in chaos as Trump proposes to slash funds and dismantle USAID Struggle for survival Community kitchens, launched by volunteers among the inhabitants, at the beginning of the war...

Egypt rejected on Sunday attempts aimed at establishing a rival government in Sudan, warning that such moves jeopardised the “unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity” of the war-torn country. Sudan has been locked in a war between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) for nearly two years, plunging the country into what the United Nations describes as one of the worst humanitarian disasters in recent memory. A week ago, the RSF and its allies signed a charter in Kenya declaring the formation of a “government of peace and unity” in areas under their control. “Egypt expresses its rejection of any attempts that threaten the unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of brotherly Sudan, including the pursuit of forming a parallel Sudanese government,” a statement from Cairo’s foreign ministry said Sunday. It added that such actions “complicate the situation in Sudan, hinder ongoing efforts to unify political visions and exacerbate...

United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan, Clementine Nkweta-Salami yesterday expressed her deep concerns about recent reports of Sudanese unable to leave the beleaguered Zamzam camp for displaced in North Darfur. Referring to the large Zamzam camp south of El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan stated yesterday that “I am extremely concerned about recent reports of civilians unable – and in some cases actively prevented – from leaving areas of conflict, basically being held hostage in areas of active fighting. “The passage of civilians fleeing to safety must be ensured, as called for under International Humanitarian Law,” she stressed. “In Zamzam camp in Al Fasher, North Darfur, tens of thousands of people – the majority of whom are women, children and elderly – have been facing intermittent conditions of siege, shelling and ground attacks. They are hungry and children are malnourished.” This...

The global “Stop the Pushback” campaign warns of rollbacks on women’s rights in multilateral spaces Two weeks ahead of International Working Women’s Day, women’s rights are facing a long list of threats. From the Trump administration’s appointment of anti-science health officials and rollback on reproductive healthcare funding, to the ongoing dangers of Israeli attacks in Palestine, Lebanon, and other parts of West Asia, the challenges seem endless. Yet more insidious rollbacks are creeping into the multilateral system, warn the initiators of the global campaign Stop the Pushback on Women’s Rights. Masked as minor wording changes in policy documents, these efforts are eroding hard-won rights across United Nations agencies. “The most important developments are the ones that happen ‘silently,’ under the radar,” Bettina Borisch of the World Federation of Public Health Associations (WFPHA) told People’s Health Dispatch. “The multilateral system moves backward, and their documentation is changed in terms of words...

UN humanitarians on Friday warned again that thousands of families could starve in the coming weeks inside the Zamzam displacement camp in North Darfur. The UN World Food Programme (WFP) confirmed that it has had to pause the distribution of life saving food and nutrition assistance, due to escalating violence. WFP spokesperson Leni Kinzli said the UN agency’s partners in the camp had no choice but to evacuate their staff to safety. “The recent violence in Zamzam has also left the central market destroyed…residents of the camp, which is around half a million people, are even further away from accessing food and essential food. Government troops have been battling their former allies turned adversaries, the Rapid Support Forces militia, for nearly two years. The RSF now controls virtually all of Darfur but has been laying siege to the city of El Fasher for months, close to ZamZam. RSF Militia stormed...