Khartoum, Sudan (Running Africa) — The United Nations has warned that sexual violence is being deployed on an unprecedented scale as a weapon of war in Sudan’s ongoing civil conflict, raising alarm over widespread abuses that could amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity.

In a new report, the UN verified 546 incidents involving at least 838 victims—most of them women and girls—since fighting erupted between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in 2023. However, the organization cautioned that the actual number of cases is likely far higher due to under-reporting driven by fear, stigma, and limited access to affected communities.

The report attributes the majority of documented incidents to RSF fighters, while noting that allegations of sexual violence have been made against both parties to the conflict.

Sudan’s war has triggered what the United Nations describes as the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, displacing more than 11 million people and leaving an estimated 28 million in need of urgent food assistance amid worsening insecurity and economic collapse.

International concern is also mounting over the strategic city of El-Obeid, where hundreds of thousands of displaced civilians remain trapped as fears grow over a potential RSF offensive. Humanitarian agencies warn that residents face critical shortages of food, clean water, and medical supplies while access to aid remains severely restricted.

The United Kingdom and several European governments have called for immediate international action to protect civilians, warning that El-Obeid could face atrocities similar to those witnessed in El-Fasher in 2025, where thousands of people were killed during intense fighting.

The UN said the systematic use of sexual violence underscores the urgent need for accountability and stronger international efforts to protect civilians, as Sudan’s conflict continues to deepen one of Africa’s most devastating humanitarian emergencies.