Part 5/10:
Women and girls faced particularly horrific experiences, subjected to mass sexual violence as part of a strategy to dismantle non-Arab populations. Estimates of lives lost in the conflict vary dramatically, with the Sudanese government claiming about 10,000, while the UN estimates around 300,000. The displacement figures also vary widely, with about 450,000 according to the Sudanese government versus the UN’s estimate of three million.
Humanitarian efforts fell woefully short in addressing the magnitude of suffering, marked by inadequate food, water, and medical assistance in refugee camps. The conflict only formally ended in August 2020 with a ceasefire, but the scars it left on the region persist.