Sudanese women who have fled to eastern Chad are creating their own support groups to cope with the trauma of war, sexual violence, and displacement, according to Al Jazeera.
The conflict in Sudan, which escalated in 2023, has driven millions from their homes and become one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises. Many of those fleeing are women and children who suffered abuse as militias swept through regions such as el-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur. The Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group, seized control of el-Fasher on October 26 after an 18-month-long siege. Local and international observers, including Amnesty International, have accused RSF fighters of committing war crimes, including torture, rape, and mass killings.
At the Tulum refugee camp in eastern Chad, some survivors have formed grassroots support circles where they can speak openly about their experiences. Basma, a survivor, told Al Jazeera that she and her sister were held and tortured for five days by militias allied with the RSF while attempting to escape Sudan. “May God expose and punish them. God willing, we will have our day of reckoning,” she said.
The United Nations aid chief Tom Fletcher described el-Fasher as a “crime scene,” and in response to mounting reports of atrocities, the United Nations Human Rights Council has launched an investigation into the events that occurred during and after the city’s fall.
In Chad, the availability of mental health professionals is severely limited. Humanitarian officials report there is only one psychiatrist in the region and only a handful of psychologists to assist hundreds of thousands of Sudanese refugees. In this vacuum, informal support groups led by fellow refugees, including long-time displaced woman Fatimah Fadul, have become essential lifelines.
Fadul, who leads one such group, spoke to Al Jazeera about the cultural stigma that discourages Sudanese women from speaking out about rape. “As Sudanese, we face the stigma: mothers at home pressure the girl, telling her not to speak or to keep silent about the rape. We raise awareness and encourage our sisters and our mothers to speak up… When you stay silent, you inflict internal psychological harm, leading to illnesses,” she said.
For many, the support groups offer the only space to begin healing. But for every participant, hundreds more remain without help, either due to shame, lack of resources, or limited access. Zaina Ibrahim, another refugee, told Al Jazeera she still does not know whether her mother or children survived. “Many members of my family are presumed dead,” she said.
Source: Al Jazeera, https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/11/26/sudanese-women-in-chad-grapple-with-trauma-of-wartime-violence