The widespread use of rape and sexual violence in the conflict in Sudan is driving a deepening mental health crisis among women and girls.

The United Nations (UN) Population Fund has raised alarm over the scale of the problem, warning that stigma and a shortage of trained health workers are leaving many survivors without support.

Medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières says more than 3 000 survivors have sought treatment at facilities it supports in the Darfur region over the past two years. But aid groups believe this figure represents only a fraction of the true number of victims.

According to UN officials, many women suffer in silence due to stigma, with estimates suggesting that for every reported case, there could be up to eight or nine others that go unreported.

The impact has been devastating. Some survivors have taken their own lives to avoid sexual violence, while others are left dealing with severe physical and psychological trauma.

–ChannelAfrica–