Since conflict broke out between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces on April 15^th, multiple women have reported being raped by armed men. The lack of medication such as emergency contraception and abortifacients has only intensified the situation for vulnerable civilians and rape survivors. Enass Muzamel, an activist who works with rape survivors in Khartoum, said that access to post-rape medication has become a “privilege” and that many victims of rape are “turning to traditional methods” to treat themselves in the aftermath. These traditional methods, however, can have severe physical as well as mental health implications.

Sexual violence is often used as a means of war and affects the most vulnerable members of society, most frequently women and girls. In the article “‘No Woman Feels Safe’: Sexual Violence Rampant in Sudan War,” international state-owned news network Voice of America reported that sexual assaults affected all aspects of society, with both young and old women becoming victims of rape. The Guardian noted that several reports of rape in the Sudanese capital of Khartoum had already been made by May, and in the last month the number of victims has only increased. Sulaima Ishaq, director of the Sudanese government’s Combating Violence Against Women Unit, said that rapes are “happening everywhere” and that the official numbers are “likely just a small fraction of the cases.”

Even more worryingly, Weronika Strzyżyńska reported in her article “Anguish as rape survivors in Sudan unable to access vital medication” that those who survived the rapes have been struggling to receive proper treatment, due to the fact that access to medical post-rape kits has been cut off since the outbreak of the conflict. Most hospitals have been destroyed in the violence or otherwise are no longer in operation, and abortion is not legal in Sudan, causing further scarcity. This is a vital issue, as most post-rape medication has to be taken within 72 hours after the assault to be effective.

While the U.N. Population Fund (U.N.F.P.A.) claimed that it had delivered post-rape kits to Sudan, distributing these kits has turned out to be difficult. It might, therefore, be necessary for organizations like U.N.F.P.A. to work more closely with local groups, who can provide better access for those in need. The Sudan Family Planning Association, for example, was able to provide emergency contraception to women in more rural areas.

Furthermore, more has to be done to protect women and girls from rape itself. The international community must include the topics of rape and civilian safety in their talks with the two parties and in the attempts to create a ceasefire. Sexual violence cannot continue being used as a means of war.

Despite several ceasefires, the conflict in Sudan persists, leading to the death of hundreds of people, the forced displacement of more than a million civilians, and the rape and/or sexual assault of many women and girls. While access to medication cannot prevent the trauma that results from being raped, it can protect victims from unwanted pregnancies, sexually-transmitted illnesses, and further traumatization from lack of medical care. It is therefore of critical importance that post-rape medication and medical kits be made available in Sudan.