Human Rights Report | February 24, 2026; Tawila
- First: Documented Facts:
Consistent testimonies and repeated complaints received by the Office for Humanitarian Affairs and the local courts in the region, according to monitoring by the “Sudan Rights Watch Network” field sources in North Darfur State, specifically in the Debba Nayra camp in the Tawila area, which currently shelters approximately 665,000 internally displaced persons, most of whom fled El Fasher and other areas such as Um Janqur and Martal, indicate a systematic pattern of sexual exploitation of girls and women by a group of local community leaders. This exploitation is carried out in exchange for promises of humanitarian aid, in flagrant violation of the principles of humanitarian action, international humanitarian law, and international human rights law.
Information indicates that the majority of victims are underage girls between the ages of 15 and 17, placing these violations within the category of grave crimes against children and minors. One minor reported being subjected to sexual extortion by a sheikh who demanded sexual favors in exchange for facilitating her access to cash assistance allegedly provided by the International Committee of the Red Cross. She has not received any assistance as of the date of this report.
According to reliable sources within the network, humanitarian affairs offices inside the camp are now registering three to four complaints daily regarding pregnancies. This is a highly alarming indicator of the widespread and ongoing violations, and of the failure of protection and monitoring mechanisms within the camp.
The evidence received by the network’s sources confirms the presence of sheikhs and local actors within the Dibba Nayra camp who exploit their social and symbolic positions, transforming humanitarian aid from an unconditional human right into a tool for sexual coercion and control over women and girls.
Secondly: The Legal Characterization of the Violations:
These reported acts constitute grave and multifaceted violations, including:
- Sexual exploitation and abuse, particularly against children, women, and minors.
- Extortion based on vulnerability.
- Human trafficking, as defined internationally, when exploitation is linked to material gain.
- Gender-based violence in the context of conflict and displacement.
- Denying victims humanitarian assistance and using it as a tool of coercion and subjugation.
Third: Legal Analysis:
These practices constitute a direct violation of several binding international instruments, including:
- The Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), particularly Articles 19, 34, and 36, which prohibit all forms of sexual exploitation of children.
- The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), which obligates states to protect women from violence and exploitation.
- International humanitarian law, which mandates special protection for civilians, especially women and children, in situations of conflict, whether international or non-international.
- The Code of Conduct of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and NGOs, which categorically prohibits any sexual exploitation related to aid. According to Sudanese national legislation, the state, local authorities, the judiciary, and humanitarian agencies bear direct legal responsibility for prevention, investigation, and accountability. These acts fall under:
- Sexual assault crimes.
- Child exploitation crimes.
- Abuse of power crimes.
- Acts criminalized under Sudanese child law and Sudanese criminal law.
Fourth: Institutional and Ethical Responsibility:
Transforming humanitarian aid into a tool for sexual exploitation is not merely an individual crime, but reflects a structural failure in protection, oversight, and accountability systems within displacement camps. Given the persistent nature of this behavior, it constitutes systematic violence against underage girls, children, and women in the context of displacement, poverty, and lack of protection. Therefore, remaining silent about these violations or treating them as “individual transgressions” amounts to indirect complicity in the crime and strips humanitarian discourse of its ethical and legal substance.
The possibility of achieving accountability raises serious questions about:
- The effectiveness of complaint mechanisms.
- The independence of humanitarian affairs offices.
- The extent to which international organizations adhere to standards of protection from sexual exploitation and abuse.
- The silence or complicity of local and official actors.
Sudan Rights Watch Network
February 24, 2026