A UN agency warns of increasing risks to women in the White Nile region and calls for a ceasefire.

25 July 2026 (PEN) UN Women warned of the worsening risks facing women and girls in El Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan state, saying the city has no "safe time" due to drone attacks during the day and the risk of sexual violence at night, and called for an immediate ceasefire in Sudan.

The agency said that targeting water sources during the day forced women and girls to fetch water at night, turning this route into a "trap" that exposed them to the risks of harassment and rape while trying to obtain basic necessities.

The commission warned of a repeat of what it described as the atrocities of El Fasher in the city of El Obeid, with the deteriorating security and humanitarian situation and continued restrictions on access to basic services.

She noted that the health situation is likely to deteriorate further as the peak of the rainy season approaches, amid the spread of the cholera epidemic, with the World Health Organization recording 1,330 cases at the beginning of July, in addition to malnutrition and limited health care in displacement sites.

According to the agency, the number of women and girls in need of gender-based violence response services rose to 12.7 million in 2026, four times the number before the outbreak of the war.

She stressed that local women’s organizations, which are a vital lifeline for the response, are facing sharp funding cuts, as a survey conducted by the agency showed that two-thirds of these organizations have closed or reduced “safe spaces” and anti-violence services.

Half of the organizations surveyed also indicated that they may have to suspend their operations entirely during the next year unless they receive urgent financial support.

UN Women stressed the need to ensure unimpeded access for aid, respect for international humanitarian law, accountability for perpetrators of violations, and justice for survivors.

She called for the active involvement of women in peace processes and recovery efforts, and for increased investment in women-led organizations, as they are the "last line of defense" in Sudan.