Internally displaced women in Sudan’s North Darfur State are receiving mental health support and general safety training for women and girls in conflicts as part of a campaign organized by Ajsaam Al-Salaam, a women’s advocacy group.
The ongoing five-day campaign in El Fasher town brought together 255 women from Kutum, Tawila, Nyala, El-Fashir and El-Geneina displaced persons camps. It is scheduled to conclude on Thursday.
Razaz Mohamed Salih, a lawyer and human rights activist at the Ajsaam Al-Salaam organization, told Radio Tamazuj Tuesday that in conflicts, women are subjected to all kinds of violence and sexual abuse, and it is essential for them to receive mental health support.
“In light of the current war, we women face all kinds of dangerous violations,” she said. “In the absence of the courts and the government, it is important for women to know where or who to report to if they were abused.”
Meanwhile, Anwar Salaheddin, a medical doctor at Ajsaam Al-Salaam organization, presented an awareness session on the importance of healthcare during pregnancy, saying that pregnant women are the most vulnerable group in times of crisis.
“We have provided a comprehensive session for the women about the importance of healthcare and nutrition during pregnancy. We also talked to young girls about reproductive health. A huge number of women and girls turned up and found the session very educational,” she said.
For her part, Randa Mukhtar Abdalla, a participant in one of the sessions, told Radio Tamazuj she benefited from the training and learned about the risk of female genital mutilation (FGM).
“We talked about the female genital mutilations and the risk associated with such as severe bleeding and complications in childbirth,” she said. “I urge our community to stop this unhealthy habit.”
As part of the campaign, the organizers protested against the ongoing war in Sudan and voiced support for the Specialized Hospital for Women’s Health.
About 5.4 million people have fled their homes and sought refuge within Sudan or neighbouring countries since fighting started in mid-April between the Sudanese army and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (SRF), according to the latest UNOCHA report.
Also, an estimated 188,000 refugees have abandoned hotspot areas to other locations across Sudan.