WSF Meeting in Cairo- Impacts of the Conflict in Sudan on Women, 25 February 2025

On 25 February, Cecily Bayliss (WSF Programme Manager) met with Sudanese civil society representatives in Cairo. The meeting was coordinated by WSF member H.E. Ambassador Mona Omar, former Egyptian Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Africa.

Discussions centred on the conflict's devastating impacts on Sudanese women and exploring how the WSF network could provide support. According to UNHCR data, Sudan currently faces the world's largest and fastest displacement crisis, with 12.5 million people forcibly displaced, 24.6 million suffering from acute hunger, and 637,000 at the edge of famine. Women and girls bear a disproportionate burden, with widespread reports of rape, forced marriages, and abductions.

Participants emphasised WSF's potential role in raising international awareness about this "forgotten conflict" to mobilise immediate humanitarian relief efforts for affected communities.