SUDAN: Durable solutions elusive as southern IDPs return and ...

of sexual violence remain unreported, mainly due to fear of the social stigma associated with
rape. On several occasions victims chose not to file complaints because in most cases police
cannot or will not take appropriate action against perpetrators” (Human Rights Council, 2
September 2008, para.54)."
Protection of Special Categories of IDPs (Age, Gender, Diversity)
Protection of special categories of IDPs
Filling in the gaps after the expulsions of NGOs in March 2009
With the void left by the expelled international and national NGOs, the United Nations and the
remaining humanitarian NGOs tried to fill in the gaps by focusing predominantly on the life-saving
sectors, like food, water and sanitation. However, support for rape survivors has remained
decimated and under-unaddressed (The New Republic, 14 October 2009). According to UN, the
internally displace women “who were already suffering from lack of adequate humanitarian
services lost access to the medical and psychosocial support offered by those organizations. That
support has not been replaced, either for lack of capacity on the part of the Government of the
Sudan or because of distrust on the part of internally displaced persons women. One
consequence is that no independent monitoring of localized violence and sexual and genderbased
violence currently exists” (UN SC, 29 October 2009, p.21).
Rape in Darfur has been prevalent and systematic throughout the crisis and sexual assaults were
often recorded in and around IDP camps. Even before expulsions of the NGOs the provision of
SGBV support services was a continuous struggle for NGOs (The New Republic, 14 October
2009).
"A decentralized and largely informal network of GBV support services grew painstakingly over
five years, and it included some of the world's most well-respected aid organizations. The U.N.
relied on the network's agencies to share information so that referral pathways could be
developed to meet GBV survivors' needs. As a result, women who braved the social stigma
associated with reporting rape in Darfur's Muslim society could receive medical care--from lifesaving
emergency assistance for injuries sustained during brutal attacks (often involving multiple
assailants) to HIV/AIDS prophylactic treatment to psychological support.
The agencies faced steady opposition. Staff reported being harassed by government officials and
running into bureaucratic obstacles, like Khartoum's persistent delays in signing the technical
agreements that are necessary for aid organizations to operate in Darfur. And President Al Bashir
personally undermined their cause by insisting that allegations of mass rape were being
fabricated for political purposes.
[…]
In the wake of this year's expulsions, Darfur's already fragile GBV-services network collapsed
completely. Now, although there is no concrete evidence that the government intended to
categorically remove GBV services, many local staffers say that, more than ever, they feel
targeted and powerless. "After the expulsions, the message was clear--work on GBV, and you’ll
be kicked out," one aid worker told me.
[…]
The international agencies in the now-defunct GBV-services network protected the privacy of
women who reported rape. This was critical because, under provisions in Sudan's Criminal Code,
women who have been raped risk prosecution for adultery if they cannot prove that they didn't
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