Water Collection Becomes a Daily Ordeal for Women in El Obeid
A Terrifying Choice Between Two Dangers
Provpnmatrix.com – For women and girls in El Obeid, Sudan, the simple act of gathering water has transformed into a harrowing daily decision. They must now choose between two distinct perils: venturing out during daylight hours to collect water while risking drone strikes, or waiting until darkness falls and facing potential sexual assault. This dual threat has created what UN Women describes as an unprecedented situation where no time of day feels truly safe for women seeking this essential resource.
Anna Mutavati, serving as UN Women’s regional director for East and Southern Africa, highlighted this crisis during a press briefing in Geneva, speaking from Nairobi. She explained that the combination of daytime aerial attacks and nighttime sexual violence has effectively eliminated any secure window for women and girls to perform one of life’s most fundamental tasks.
“In El Obeid, Sudan, drone attacks during the day and sexual violence at night have left no safe window for women and girls to collect water.”
The Drone Threat and Nighttime Vulnerability
The pattern emerging in El Obeid mirrors similar atrocities that were documented in El Fasher during the previous year. Foreign-made drones have increasingly flooded into Sudan, extending the reach of the conflict into civilian areas and bringing critical infrastructure within striking distance.
During daylight hours, these drones have specifically targeted water points and distribution sites, forcing women to delay their water collection until evening. Many believed that darkness would provide adequate protection from aerial attacks. However, this strategy has proven insufficient. According to Ms. Mutavati, numerous women have been harassed, raped, and subjected to various forms of sexual violence while attempting to fill jerrycans during nighttime hours.
The scale of drone-related casualties has been substantial. In the first four months of 2026 alone, drone strikes claimed at least 880 civilian lives, representing more than eighty percent of all civilian deaths recorded by the human rights office during that timeframe.
Strategic Importance and Growing Crisis
El Obeid’s geographic position has made it a highly valuable military target since the conflict between rival Sudanese militaries commenced in April 2023. The city sits on crucial routes connecting Khartoum, the capital, with Darfur, the broader Kordofan region, and southern Sudan. This strategic location has drawn intense attention from both sides of the conflict.
More than half a million residents currently call El Obeid home, including approximately 83,000 internally displaced people. The majority of these displaced individuals are women and children, making the city particularly vulnerable to the dual threats of aerial bombardment and sexual violence.
“The conflict was on the cusp of entering yet another new, even deadlier phase,” warned Volker Türk, the UN’s human rights chief, in May.
Health and Humanitarian Concerns Mount
With the rainy season approaching its peak next month, residents face growing anxiety about disease outbreaks. Cholera is already circulating throughout Sudan, with the World Health Organization reporting 1,330 cases by early July 2026. Malnutrition, which compromises immune function and increasingly impacts women and girls, exacerbates these health risks alongside severely constrained access to both food and medical care, especially within displacement camps.
Sexual violence has functioned as a strategic weapon throughout Sudan’s three-year conflict. Testimonies reveal instances of rape occurring in front of family members, accompanied by severe physical abuse. UN Women reported that the number of women and girls requiring gender-based violence services nationwide has quadrupled since the war began, reaching an estimated 12.7 million in 2026.
Women-Led Organizations Under Pressure
Women-led organizations continue to serve as vital lifelines for Sudanese communities, reaching populations that other humanitarian actors cannot access to provide protection and support. However, significant funding reductions have compelled two-thirds of these organizations to either close completely or reduce their operations. Half of those surveyed indicated they anticipate suspending activities or shutting down entirely within the year unless urgent financial assistance arrives.
Ms. Mutavati reiterated UN Women’s demands for an immediate ceasefire, inclusive peace negotiations, and a definitive end to the ongoing war. Earlier in the month, the UN Fact-Finding Mission for Sudan cautioned that the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces appeared to be adopting tactics similar to those employed in El Fasher by surrounding El Obeid and targeting critical infrastructure, heightening concerns that the city might experience mass atrocities.
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