UN Women warns women in Sudan's El Obeid face drone attacks by day, sexual violence by night

What the report says

Anadolu Agency Africa reports that UN Women has issued an urgent warning about the dangers facing women and girls in El Obeid, a city in Sudan’s North Kordofan state. According to the agency’s headline and summary, the UN body said women face the threat of drone strikes during daylight hours and sexual violence after dark, leaving them without a safe window to carry out basic tasks such as collecting water.

The report says UN Women called for an immediate ceasefire, framing the situation as a direct threat to civilians and a gender-specific protection crisis. The agency’s available summary indicates that women and girls are especially exposed because daily survival needs can require movement through unsafe areas, while insecurity at night increases the risk of abuse and assault.

The full Anadolu article text was not available in the supplied material, so further details on casualty figures, the parties involved in specific incidents, or the evidence cited by UN Women could not be independently summarized from the source. The central development is the UN agency’s public alarm over worsening conditions in El Obeid and its appeal for fighting to stop.

For context, Sudan has been engulfed in a devastating war since 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces, with civilians bearing the brunt of displacement, hunger, attacks on communities and reports of widespread sexual violence. Humanitarian agencies have repeatedly warned that women and girls face heightened risks when conflict disrupts access to water, food, shelter and health services.