Atmosphere of ‘desperation, extreme fear and trauma’ envelops women of Sudan

This article is published in association with United Nations.

An atmosphere of desperation, extreme fear and trauma envelops the women of Sudan in a conflict that has left half of its 50-million-person population in dire need of assistance, according to Laila Baker, a senior regional director from the UN sexual and reproductive health agency, UNFPA.

UN News: What are the impressions of the maternity hospital you visited in Port Sudan?

Laila Baker: I can’t find the words to describe what I saw. In both the maternity hospital and the safe space for women and girls, there were inspiring people. They didn’t care much about their own circumstances of displacement and stress. They simply continued to provide services to women and girls in need.

We met doctors working around the clock. I met a wonderful midwife who was tirelessly going out into the field, making sure that antenatal care was provided and following up with poor women, bringing them to the same hospital. It was inspiring and I think it reflects the beautiful nature of the Sudanese people. The conditions we saw in the maternity hospital were equally appalling. We saw babies crammed into incubators and heaters. There were two or three babies in one heater because of the shortage of these.

It is very difficult for medical professionals to deal with this number of patients and provide care. The people themselves suffer from lack of supplies and lack of hygiene. Despite all the efforts made, the hospital is overcrowded. It is providing services four times its capacity due to the number of displaced people.

I have been working in this field for nearly three decades and have seen many shelters and displaced people in that time. But I have never seen a situation like this, where overcrowding, desperation, lack of food, clean water and hygiene products combine for many women, and the extreme fear and trauma of loss and damage they have suffered either due to conflict, flooding or both. Many have also experienced sexual violence due to their displacement.

UNFPA

Laila Baker, UNFPA Regional Director for Arab States (left) meets a midwife holding a newborn baby at the Maternity Hospital in Port Sudan.

UN News: The war in Sudan has been described as a war on women. Do you have any stories to share about this issue?

Laila Baker: I wish I could say no, but unfortunately, I have met women who have shared their stories, who have been brave enough to tell us what happened to them. UNFPA condemns sexual violence, especially sexual violence used as a strategy of war. We do not judge others. We do not ask who the perpetrator is. Our focus is on the woman or girl who has been subjected to this type of violence and ensuring that she receives treatment, including psychosocial care and medical treatment, and begins the process of recovery.

In one group discussion where many women were sharing their stories, one young woman stood up but then couldn’t speak. She became hoarse and started crying. I told her to come and sit. She sat next to me and whispered in my ear that she had been raped. The only thing I could do was hug her and say, ‘You are not alone. We are here to help. Thank you for sharing your story.’ 

I think she was relieved that she had a space to tell her story that she had never shared with anyone before, but it affected her deeply and she started losing her confidence. She was a beautiful, vibrant, educated young woman in her 20s, and her life was going well. And in the context of this brutal conflict, she had to go back to the place where she was assaulted because that was her place of work and she was the sole provider for her family. We cried together. I was deeply moved by her story.

UNFPA

Leila Baker, UNFPA Regional Director for Arab States, stands among a group of displaced women in a safe space in Port Sudan.

UN News: Given what you witnessed, what’s next for Sudan?

Laila Baker: Sudan deserves peace. It is a beautiful country with potential and good people. We have to do everything we can to end this violent conflict and bring stability to a country that was once the breadbasket of the entire African continent. We must rethink the way we deal with it and provide the Sudanese people with all the support we can so that peace can be achieved as soon as possible.