WEBVTT 00:01.866 --> 00:04.233 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% JOHN YANG: This week, the head of the United Nations Children's Fund, UNICEF, 00:04.233 --> 00:09.100 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70% told global leaders Sudan's humanitarian crisis is the world's biggest and most devastating. A 00:11.166 --> 00:15.466 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% new UNICEF report says 30 million people are in need of humanitarian aid, more than half 00:15.466 --> 00:20.466 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% of them children. Many of them face threats of violence and sexual assault on a daily basis. 00:22.133 --> 00:25.266 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% The report also says that in fewer than two years of conflict, 00:25.266 --> 00:30.233 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% the number of people at risk of gender based violence has more than tripled to more than 00:30.233 --> 00:35.233 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% 12 million people, or 25 percent of the population. Ali Rogin spoke with 00:36.733 --> 00:40.300 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% UNICEF spokesperson Tess Ingram, who recently traveled to Sudan. 00:40.300 --> 00:44.966 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% ALI ROGIN: Thank you so much for joining us. Tess, what are the major findings from this report? 00:44.966 --> 00:49.433 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% TESS INGRAM, Spokesperson, UNICEF: This report tells us that we're facing a very 00:49.433 --> 00:54.400 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% serious situation in Sudan with sexual violence. It is being used as a weapon of war to instill 00:56.433 --> 01:00.233 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% fear in communities. The data that we got from service providers in Sudan shows that 01:00.233 --> 01:05.133 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70% there have been 221 cases of rape perpetrated against children since the beginning of 2024. 01:08.466 --> 01:13.466 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70% And if that alone isn't shocking, it tells us that there are really young children in that 01:13.466 --> 01:18.466 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% cohort as young as one year old. And the cases of rape are being perpetrated right across the 01:20.500 --> 01:23.900 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% country. This is not an isolated incident. It is widespread terror being waged across Sudan. 01:25.700 --> 01:29.900 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% ALI ROGIN: To what extent is the civil war fueling this sexual violence? 01:29.900 --> 01:34.333 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% TESS INGRAM: We know that sexual violence existed, including being perpetrated against 01:34.333 --> 01:39.333 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70% children in Sudan before this conflict. But we've seen it resurge again, and we've seen it happen in 01:41.433 --> 01:45.300 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% a number of different scenarios of armed men as they come into a city, taking young girls 01:48.666 --> 01:53.633 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% from their families and holding them against their will. We've seen families fleeing that 01:55.900 --> 01:59.133 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70% fear of that violence and death, only to find themselves apprehended or put in harm's way. 02:01.266 --> 02:04.733 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% And again, when people get to places that they think are safe, 02:04.733 --> 02:09.633 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% they are not safe, the violence follows them. And that is consistent in many 02:09.633 --> 02:13.400 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% locations across the country of Sudan right until today. 02:13.400 --> 02:17.133 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% ALI ROGIN: We have a sound bite from a victim that you interviewed on the ground. We're 02:17.133 --> 02:22.133 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70% calling her Omnia. And she talked to you about what she witnessed while she was abducted and 02:24.533 --> 02:28.100 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70% held and mistreated by armed groups. That included witnessing acts of sexual violence. Take a listen. 02:30.333 --> 02:33.466 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% OMNIA, Human Rights Worker (through translator): I endured this suffering and torment for 19 02:33.466 --> 02:38.466 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% days. Throughout the 19 days, there were daily rapes. Every day there were rapes. 02:40.666 --> 02:45.666 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% Every day there was a crime. During those 19 days, I lived in hell. These people are not 02:50.033 --> 02:55.000 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% human beings. They subjected us to insults, humiliation, fear, terror and starvation. 02:57.066 --> 03:01.900 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% ALI ROGIN: Is that similar to other stories that you've heard throughout the region? 03:04.133 --> 03:07.533 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70% TESS INGRAM: I spent two weeks in Sudan spending time with these incredibly brave survivors. 03:09.666 --> 03:13.466 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% I think it's important for us to understand the culture in Sudan blames the survivor and 03:15.533 --> 03:19.100 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% not the perpetrator for the sexual violence. And so they live with a tremendous amount of 03:19.100 --> 03:24.100 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70% social stigma and fear of retribution. So it's incredibly brave for these survivors to speak. 03:26.233 --> 03:30.600 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% And, yes, I interviewed dozens over two weeks, hearing their stories about their experiences. 03:33.000 --> 03:36.333 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70% But the consistent part was, in most cases, these are children. They are young women who were trying 03:38.866 --> 03:43.866 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% to survive an awful, violent conflict only to be raped and in many cases, physically beaten, 03:47.200 --> 03:52.200 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% threatened. They had loved ones killed in front of them. The youngest survivor I interviewed was five 03:54.633 --> 03:57.800 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70% years old. This should not happen to anybody, let alone to children in such a vulnerable position. 03:59.733 --> 04:03.400 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% ALI ROGIN: What are the impacts on the wider society? You know, the relatives, 04:03.400 --> 04:08.400 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% family members of the victims? And is this happening in places 04:09.866 --> 04:14.066 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% that people fleeing the violence are seeking safety and shelter? 04:16.466 --> 04:20.366 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70% TESS INGRAM: People in Sudan now live in fear of this happening to them and to their families. And 04:22.433 --> 04:27.033 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% so what it has done is creates a motivation to run and to leave when conflict descends 04:30.000 --> 04:35.000 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% on people's cities. It causes massive displacement alongside the 04:37.166 --> 04:40.100 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70% other challenges that the conflict brings, like malnutrition and like bombardments. 04:41.933 --> 04:46.000 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% But sexual violence is also causing people to be displaced. Men, women, 04:47.800 --> 04:50.533 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% children, frontline workers I spoke to talked about cases within the 04:50.533 --> 04:54.933 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% communities where these displaced people are living. Maybe it's dark. 04:54.933 --> 04:59.066 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% They have to make a long walk to a water point. In those sorts of situations, 04:59.066 --> 05:02.533 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% they are again vulnerable to sexual violence. 05:02.533 --> 05:06.166 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% ALI ROGIN: How is UNICEF helping the survivors of these assaults? 05:06.166 --> 05:11.166 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% TESS INGRAM: We're working across Sudan to bring the supplies and services that survivors need. 05:13.200 --> 05:17.266 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% But more than that, we're trying to prevent this from happening. We're doing advocacy 05:17.266 --> 05:22.133 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% with the parties to the conflict to remind them of their obligations under international 05:22.133 --> 05:27.133 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% humanitarian law to protect children. We're also working on preventative methods such as 05:30.433 --> 05:35.433 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% training sessions and awareness sessions for frontline workers and for young girls. 05:37.500 --> 05:40.733 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% We're also providing cash assistance to try and help those families when they flee get to 05:42.733 --> 05:46.200 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% places that are safer. And if that fails and we aren't able to prevent the rape, 05:48.033 --> 05:50.700 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% then we are providing supplies and services like mental health support, 05:50.700 --> 05:55.700 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% like medical kits for hospitals and the other life-saving equipment that people need. 05:57.166 --> 05:59.266 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% ALI ROGIN: Tess Ingram with an important look at what's 05:59.266 --> 06:02.666 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% happening on the ground in Sudan. Thank you so much for your time. 06:02.666 --> 06:03.433 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% TESS INGRAM: Thank you.