A growing humanitarian crisis is unfolding in Sudan as thousands of pregnant women are being forced to embark on perilous escapes from escalating violence, according to United Nations estimates and firsthand accounts from survivors.
The UN estimates that over 2,000 pregnant women have fled the city of El-Fasher since the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) seized control in late October. These women, many with young children in tow, are undertaking arduous journeys to find safety, often arriving at displacement camps in critical condition.
The story of Nadra Muhammad Ahmed is a stark example of the ordeal faced by many. Ahmed was seven months pregnant when she fled the violence in her hometown of Al-Fasher. Her escape involved a nearly 40-kilometer walk with her two children before she could find safe transportation to a shelter.
Ahmed arrived at the El Daba displacement camp two months before her hometown was seized by the RSF, which has been locked in a brutal conflict with Sudan’s army for over two years. Her journey, however, was marked by violence and brutality.
“I was pregnant with this child when I passed by the Rapid Support Forces and I was exhausted beyond imagination,” Ahmed recounted. “I was carrying a child on my back and another inside me and they beat me on my leg. They struck me here on my leg and they also insulted me.”
She described carrying her belongings on her head during the flight and suffering severe pain in her body and back. “They did not consider that I am a pregnant woman carrying a child on my back and another inside me,” she said. “They showed no humanity. They have no mercy.”
The El Daba camp has become a refuge for many of those fleeing, but the toll of the journey is severe. More than 140 pregnant women have arrived at the camp since Al-Fasher fell last month.
For Ahmed, the physical trauma of the escape nearly proved fatal. “By the time I arrived in El Daba, I had lost a lot of blood to the point that I had lost almost all of it,” she said. “I was admitted to the ICU where I spent a few days and had a blood transfusion. Thank God. Now I am close to giving birth and my blood level has fully recovered which makes me ready for delivery. Thank God there is healthcare here now.”
The widespread displacement underscores the extreme vulnerability of civilians, particularly pregnant women and mothers, caught in the ongoing conflict. The UN figure of over 2,000 pregnant women fleeing El-Fasher alone highlights the scale of the human suffering and the urgent need for humanitarian aid and safe passage for those trapped by the fighting.
