International Rescue Committee (IRC)

Protecting women in Yida

Photos: 
<p>Since it gained its independence from the Republic of Sudan in July 2011, South Sudan has been struggling to build the world&rsquo;s newest nation from scratch amid border clashes with Sudan. Now it finds itself dealing with an influx of refugees as escalating violence between the Sudanese army and ethnic-Nuban rebels in South Kordofan forces hundreds of thousands of people from their homes.&nbsp;</p><br /><br /><em>Photo: Elizabeth Pender/IRC</em><br /><br />
<p>A least 28,000 Sudanese have fled into South Sudan to the remote Yida refugee camp. Among them are many women and girls who were raped while they were fleeing the crisis. The IRC is providing immediate medical assistance, emotional support and other services to help them heal. &nbsp;</p><br /><br /><em>Photo: Elizabeth Pender/IRC</em><br /><br />
<p>With as many as 400 desperate refugees arriving in Yida every day, the camp is being stretched beyond its resources and isn&rsquo;t always a safe haven. &nbsp;Many women have been assaulted while foraging for firewood to cook their meals, fetching clean water or finding a private place to go to the bathroom.&nbsp;</p><br /><br /><em>Photo: Elizabeth Pender/IRC</em><br /><br />
<p>Women living alone in the camp are particularly vulnerable to attacks by groups of armed men who roam the area.&nbsp;</p><br /><br /><em>Photo: Elizabeth Pender/IRC</em><br /><br />
<p>But the threat of violence comes from inside the home as well. Domestic violence is widespread and, like so many other forms of violence against women, goes mostly unreported. &nbsp;As one Sudanese woman in the camp said, &ldquo;It is so common, who would you tell? &nbsp;Everyone is being beaten.&rdquo;</p><br /><br /><em>Photo: Elizabeth Pender/IRC</em><br /><br />
<p>The risk of contracting HIV or other diseases after a rape or other sexual assault is high. &nbsp;Many of the women arriving in Yida have not had access to adequate health care or to information that can help them keep themselves safe. In a region with the world&#39;s highest maternal mortality rates, most do not know what options they have for safe childbirth.&nbsp;</p><br /><br /><em>Photo: Elizabeth Pender/IRC</em><br /><br />
<p>Nor do these women and girls have the power to make important decisions for themselves. In some cases, young girls are forced to marry much older men &mdash;&nbsp;given as wives in exchange for money or other resources that a family desperately needs to survive.</p><br /><br /><em>Photo: Elizabeth Pender/IRC</em><br /><br />
<p>The IRC recently opened a Women and Girls&rsquo; Wellness Center where survivors of sexual and domestic violence can safely report abuse and receive medical treatment, counseling and other assistance. &nbsp;This new center also provides a place where pregnant women can give birth and learn how to keep themselves and their babies healthy.&nbsp;</p><br /><br /><em>Photo: Elizabeth Pender/IRC</em><br /><br />
Photo: Elizabeth Pender/IRC

Refugees fleeing South Kordofan in the Republic of Sudan are crossing the border into South Sudan as violence escalates in the embattled region.  The IRC is working in the remote Yida refugee camp to provide assistance for women and girls who have been sexually assaulted while fleeing the crisis and after their arrival.