24/09/2026
ุงูุฅุชุญุงุฏ ุงููุณุงุฆู ุงูุณูุฏุงูู SWU
The Sudanese Womenโs Union
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๐ซ๐จ๐ฆ ๐๐ฎ๐ง๐ ๐๐ซ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ฐ๐๐ซ๐๐ง๐๐ฌ๐ฌ: ๐ ๐๐ญ๐๐ญ๐๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐จ๐ง ๐๐๐จ๐ง๐จ๐ฆ๐ข๐ ๐๐๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ข๐จ๐ซ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง, ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ข๐ฏ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ก๐จ๐จ๐ ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ฌ๐ข๐ฌ, ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ญ๐ฌ ๐๐ฆ๐ฉ๐๐๐ญ ๐จ๐ง ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐๐ง
To the proud masses of the Sudanese people,
To the resilient women of Sudan,
The Sudanese Womenโs Union is following with deep concern the accelerated deterioration of economic and living conditions in the country, and the resulting expansion of poverty and hunger, the collapse of purchasing power, soaring prices of food, medicine, and basic services, the depreciation of the currency, and the widespread rise of unemployment, homelessness, and displacement.
What our people are experiencing today is not merely a high cost of living crisis or a temporary price hike; rather, it is a deep and compounding economic and social crisis directly linked to the war, the destruction it has inflicted on productive sectors, markets, and infrastructure, the disruption of agriculture, trade, industry, and services, the breakdown of supply chains, and the expansion of displacement and loss of sources of income.
Recent data indicate that the Sudanese economy has suffered a sharp contraction since the outbreak of the war, alongside persistently high levels of inflation and poverty. The conflict has also led to a decline in agricultural production and rising costs for inputs and transportation, which has directly reflected on food prices and the ability of households to secure their basic needs.
The food crisis has become an essential part of the economic crisis. Latest estimates show that approximately 19.5 million people faced high levels of acute food insecurity during the period from February to May 2026, with some areas facing the risk of famine amid the ongoing conflict and restricted access to food and aid. Grain prices have also remained at exceptionally high levels.
๐๐ก๐ ๐๐๐จ๐ง๐จ๐ฆ๐ข๐ ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ฌ๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ญ ๐๐๐ง๐๐๐ซ-๐๐๐ฎ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐ฅ
The Women's Union believes that women bear a disproportionate share of the consequences of economic collapse and war.
Sudanese women do not face rising commodity prices alone; simultaneously, they confront the loss of income, displacement, sole responsibility for the family, shortages of food, water, and healthcare, declining educational and employment opportunities, and escalating risks of violence and exploitation.
With millions of men losing their sources of income, being displaced, or killed, a growing number of women have been forced to shoulder the responsibility of supporting their families under extremely harsh economic conditions. The United Nations points out that millions of women have become heads of their households, while more than 17 million women and girls require humanitarian assistance, with women and girls continuing to face risks of violence and exploitation during displacement and in conflict zones.
Furthermore, the collapse of public services doubles the burden placed on women. Weak health, water, and sanitation services make women and girls more vulnerable to risks, especially in female-headed households. Humanitarian data indicates that households supported by women are more vulnerable to severe water deprivation.
๐๐ฎ๐ง๐ ๐๐ซ ๐๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ญ ๐ ๐๐๐ญ๐ฎ๐ซ๐๐ฅ ๐๐ก๐๐ง๐จ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐จ๐ง
The hunger experienced by our people today is neither an inevitable destiny nor a natural consequence of poverty alone.
The destruction of production, the disruption of agriculture, the looting of property and inventories, the severing of trade routes, the rising costs of inputs and transportation, the collapse of services, and widespread displacement are all factors that have contributed to producing and deepening the current crisis. The decline in agricultural production and high input costs have led to a drop in cereal production, at a time when their prices have risen significantly.
Hence, addressing the crisis cannot be limited to humanitarian aid and reliefโdespite their urgent necessityโbut requires tackling the roots of the economic crisis, rebuilding productive sectors, and restoring livelihoods and public services.
๐๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐ฌ๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐๐ง'๐ฌ ๐๐ง๐ข๐จ๐ง
The Executive Committee of the Sudanese Women's Union:
1. Expresses its full solidarity with Sudanese families facing hunger, poverty, disease, displacement, and the loss of income sources.
2. Calls for placing the livelihood crisis and food security at the absolute forefront of any response to the situation in Sudan.
3. Affirms that women must be at the heart of any economic or social policy to address the crisis, rather than being mere beneficiaries of aid programs.
4. Calls for the protection of women's sources of income, supporting women-led small businesses and agricultural and productive enterprises, and providing them with financing, inputs, and markets.
5. Demands the urgent provision of food, medicine, clean water, health, and education services, and ensuring they reach women, children, the displaced, and the most affected areas.
6. Calls for the protection of female workers and those in the informal sector from economic exploitation, and guaranteeing their rights to fair wages, safe labour, and social protection.
7. Emphasizes the necessity of providing special programs for women who have become primary breadwinners, widows, displaced women, women with disabilities, and other highly vulnerable groups.
8. Calls for the support of agricultural and livestock production, small-scale industries, and local markets as essential pillars for restoring the economy and securing food.
9. Affirms that addressing the economic collapse requires peace, an end to the war, and the restoration of civilian state institutions, as the continuation of the war means the continued destruction of production, income sources, and services.
10. Demands that women have genuine and effective participation in formulating economic and social policies, as well as in reconstruction and economic recovery processes.
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๐ซ๐จ๐ฆ ๐๐ฎ๐ง๐ ๐๐ซ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ฐ๐๐ซ๐๐ง๐๐ฌ๐ฌ
Sudanese experience has proven that suffering alone is not enough to bring about change. Hunger and poverty may drive people to protest, but awareness of the causes of the crisis, citizens' rights, and the accountability of institutions and policies is what transforms individual suffering into a public issue and societal consciousness capable of demanding change.
Therefore, the Women's Union calls for raising the level of economic awareness among women and the masses, understanding the nature and causes of the crisis, and resisting the use of hunger and poverty as a tool to subjugate citizens or exploit their needs.
A people conscious of their rights will not accept poverty as a destiny, hunger as a means of control, or war as a permanent way of life.
We stand at a moment that requires solidarity, organization, awareness, collective action, and placing the needs and dignity of the human being in Sudan at the top of all priorities.
Together for the right to food, medicine, work, education, health, and safe housing.
Together for a productive and fair economy that places humanityโand women in particularโat the centre of development.
Together for peace, democracy, and social justice.
Executive Committee
Sudanese Womenโs Union
Tuesday, September 22, 2026
