1 00:00:01,866 --> 00:00:04,233 JOHN YANG: This week, the head of the United Nations Children's Fund, UNICEF, 2 00:00:04,233 --> 00:00:09,100 told global leaders Sudan's humanitarian crisis is the world's biggest and most devastating. A 3 00:00:11,166 --> 00:00:15,466 new UNICEF report says 30 million people are in need of humanitarian aid, more than half 4 00:00:15,466 --> 00:00:20,466 of them children. Many of them face threats of violence and sexual assault on a daily basis. 5 00:00:22,133 --> 00:00:25,266 The report also says that in fewer than two years of conflict, 6 00:00:25,266 --> 00:00:30,233 the number of people at risk of gender based violence has more than tripled to more than 7 00:00:30,233 --> 00:00:35,233 12 million people, or 25 percent of the population. Ali Rogin spoke with 8 00:00:36,733 --> 00:00:40,300 UNICEF spokesperson Tess Ingram, who recently traveled to Sudan. 9 00:00:40,300 --> 00:00:44,966 ALI ROGIN: Thank you so much for joining us. Tess, what are the major findings from this report? 10 00:00:44,966 --> 00:00:49,433 TESS INGRAM, Spokesperson, UNICEF: This report tells us that we're facing a very 11 00:00:49,433 --> 00:00:54,400 serious situation in Sudan with sexual violence. It is being used as a weapon of war to instill 12 00:00:56,433 --> 00:01:00,233 fear in communities. The data that we got from service providers in Sudan shows that 13 00:01:00,233 --> 00:01:05,133 there have been 221 cases of rape perpetrated against children since the beginning of 2024. 14 00:01:08,466 --> 00:01:13,466 And if that alone isn't shocking, it tells us that there are really young children in that 15 00:01:13,466 --> 00:01:18,466 cohort as young as one year old. And the cases of rape are being perpetrated right across the 16 00:01:20,500 --> 00:01:23,900 country. This is not an isolated incident. It is widespread terror being waged across Sudan. 17 00:01:25,700 --> 00:01:29,900 ALI ROGIN: To what extent is the civil war fueling this sexual violence? 18 00:01:29,900 --> 00:01:34,333 TESS INGRAM: We know that sexual violence existed, including being perpetrated against 19 00:01:34,333 --> 00:01:39,333 children in Sudan before this conflict. But we've seen it resurge again, and we've seen it happen in 20 00:01:41,433 --> 00:01:45,300 a number of different scenarios of armed men as they come into a city, taking young girls 21 00:01:48,666 --> 00:01:53,633 from their families and holding them against their will. We've seen families fleeing that 22 00:01:55,900 --> 00:01:59,133 fear of that violence and death, only to find themselves apprehended or put in harm's way. 23 00:02:01,266 --> 00:02:04,733 And again, when people get to places that they think are safe, 24 00:02:04,733 --> 00:02:09,633 they are not safe, the violence follows them. And that is consistent in many 25 00:02:09,633 --> 00:02:13,400 locations across the country of Sudan right until today. 26 00:02:13,400 --> 00:02:17,133 ALI ROGIN: We have a sound bite from a victim that you interviewed on the ground. We're 27 00:02:17,133 --> 00:02:22,133 calling her Omnia. And she talked to you about what she witnessed while she was abducted and 28 00:02:24,533 --> 00:02:28,100 held and mistreated by armed groups. That included witnessing acts of sexual violence. Take a listen. 29 00:02:30,333 --> 00:02:33,466 OMNIA, Human Rights Worker (through translator): I endured this suffering and torment for 19 30 00:02:33,466 --> 00:02:38,466 days. Throughout the 19 days, there were daily rapes. Every day there were rapes. 31 00:02:40,666 --> 00:02:45,666 Every day there was a crime. During those 19 days, I lived in hell. These people are not 32 00:02:50,033 --> 00:02:55,000 human beings. They subjected us to insults, humiliation, fear, terror and starvation. 33 00:02:57,066 --> 00:03:01,900 ALI ROGIN: Is that similar to other stories that you've heard throughout the region? 34 00:03:04,133 --> 00:03:07,533 TESS INGRAM: I spent two weeks in Sudan spending time with these incredibly brave survivors. 35 00:03:09,666 --> 00:03:13,466 I think it's important for us to understand the culture in Sudan blames the survivor and 36 00:03:15,533 --> 00:03:19,100 not the perpetrator for the sexual violence. And so they live with a tremendous amount of 37 00:03:19,100 --> 00:03:24,100 social stigma and fear of retribution. So it's incredibly brave for these survivors to speak. 38 00:03:26,233 --> 00:03:30,600 And, yes, I interviewed dozens over two weeks, hearing their stories about their experiences. 39 00:03:33,000 --> 00:03:36,333 But the consistent part was, in most cases, these are children. They are young women who were trying 40 00:03:38,866 --> 00:03:43,866 to survive an awful, violent conflict only to be raped and in many cases, physically beaten, 41 00:03:47,200 --> 00:03:52,200 threatened. They had loved ones killed in front of them. The youngest survivor I interviewed was five 42 00:03:54,633 --> 00:03:57,800 years old. This should not happen to anybody, let alone to children in such a vulnerable position. 43 00:03:59,733 --> 00:04:03,400 ALI ROGIN: What are the impacts on the wider society? You know, the relatives, 44 00:04:03,400 --> 00:04:08,400 family members of the victims? And is this happening in places 45 00:04:09,866 --> 00:04:14,066 that people fleeing the violence are seeking safety and shelter? 46 00:04:16,466 --> 00:04:20,366 TESS INGRAM: People in Sudan now live in fear of this happening to them and to their families. And 47 00:04:22,433 --> 00:04:27,033 so what it has done is creates a motivation to run and to leave when conflict descends 48 00:04:30,000 --> 00:04:35,000 on people's cities. It causes massive displacement alongside the 49 00:04:37,166 --> 00:04:40,100 other challenges that the conflict brings, like malnutrition and like bombardments. 50 00:04:41,933 --> 00:04:46,000 But sexual violence is also causing people to be displaced. Men, women, 51 00:04:47,800 --> 00:04:50,533 children, frontline workers I spoke to talked about cases within the 52 00:04:50,533 --> 00:04:54,933 communities where these displaced people are living. Maybe it's dark. 53 00:04:54,933 --> 00:04:59,066 They have to make a long walk to a water point. In those sorts of situations, 54 00:04:59,066 --> 00:05:02,533 they are again vulnerable to sexual violence. 55 00:05:02,533 --> 00:05:06,166 ALI ROGIN: How is UNICEF helping the survivors of these assaults? 56 00:05:06,166 --> 00:05:11,166 TESS INGRAM: We're working across Sudan to bring the supplies and services that survivors need. 57 00:05:13,200 --> 00:05:17,266 But more than that, we're trying to prevent this from happening. We're doing advocacy 58 00:05:17,266 --> 00:05:22,133 with the parties to the conflict to remind them of their obligations under international 59 00:05:22,133 --> 00:05:27,133 humanitarian law to protect children. We're also working on preventative methods such as 60 00:05:30,433 --> 00:05:35,433 training sessions and awareness sessions for frontline workers and for young girls. 61 00:05:37,500 --> 00:05:40,733 We're also providing cash assistance to try and help those families when they flee get to 62 00:05:42,733 --> 00:05:46,200 places that are safer. And if that fails and we aren't able to prevent the rape, 63 00:05:48,033 --> 00:05:50,700 then we are providing supplies and services like mental health support, 64 00:05:50,700 --> 00:05:55,700 like medical kits for hospitals and the other life-saving equipment that people need. 65 00:05:57,166 --> 00:05:59,266 ALI ROGIN: Tess Ingram with an important look at what's 66 00:05:59,266 --> 00:06:02,666 happening on the ground in Sudan. Thank you so much for your time. 67 00:06:02,666 --> 00:06:03,433 TESS INGRAM: Thank you.