One in five survivors of sexual assault in South Darfur are minors, including infants under the age of five, as protection systems collapse across the region.
A staggering 20% of sexual violence survivors seeking treatment in Sudan’s South Darfur state are under the age of 18, according to recent figures from Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). The data reveals an even more harrowing statistic: 41 of the pediatric survivors documented in the region were under the age of five. The medical charity describes the humanitarian response as having “failed” these survivors, who face a decimated healthcare system and almost non-existent protection services.
The findings are part of a broader analysis of 3,396 victims treated between January 2024 and November 2025 across Darfur. The report emphasizes that the pervasive nature of armed presence has normalized violence against the most vulnerable. In South Darfur specifically, 68% of perpetrators were armed men, yet the breakdown of the rule of law has also led to an increase in assaults by civilians and criminal elements.
Barriers to Accountability
Victims often find themselves trapped between continued insecurity and a lack of medical resources. MSF notes that reporting remains critically low; survivors must navigate displacement, fear of retaliation, and intense social stigma to reach the few remaining functional clinics. For adolescent girls, the risk is a daily obstacle to education and survival, with many families reporting that the only way to avoid assault is to remain entirely confined to their homes.
“There is no way to stop the rapes. The only way is to try to stay home… This is happening to girls, every day—every day, in our area.”
SOURCES: Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), UN OCHA Sudan, World Health Organization (WHO).
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