Meet the Moment: Atrocity Prevention, Response, and Recovery in Sudan

Perspectives from Sudanese Women Leaders

The conflict in Sudan has exposed civilians to widespread violence, displacement, and mass atrocities, including war crimes and crimes against humanity. Despite repeated warnings from the international community and Sudanese civil society, efforts to prevent and halt attacks on civilians, atrocities, and devastating humanitarian consequences have been profoundly inadequate. Communities like El Fasher have already experienced mass atrocities, with large-scale deliberate attacks against civilians, and areas like El Obeid face acute risk. The exact death toll from the ongoing war remains unclear, with estimates ranging between 150,000 and 400,000 lives lost. Sexual and gender-based violence is a defining feature of the conflict, according to GIWPS’s WPS Conflict Tracker, and Sudan remains the world’s worst humanitarian crisis with 14 million people displaced and millions facing hunger. The continued deterioration of the situation in Sudan and lack of clear offramps to end the conflict and protect civilians raises urgent questions about why existing prevention mechanisms have failed, what can still be done to protect civilians, and how international and Sudanese actors can pursue justice and accountability for crimes already committed.

To meet the moment, the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security will convene a timely virtual discussion with two Sudanese experts, Hanin Ahmed and Maha Tambal, to examine gaps in the international response, identify immediate prevention and protection priorities, and explore viable pathways toward justice and accountability. The conversation will center Sudanese perspectives—including the experiences and priorities of Sudanese women—while connecting developments on the ground to the policy tools available to the United Nations, governments, and international justice institutions.

Featuring

Maha Tambal
Program Manager, DT Institute

Hanin Ahmed
External Relations Officer, Sudan’s Emergency Response Rooms, and Founder, Old Omdurman ERRs

Carla Koppell
Managing Director, The Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security

For additional information about Women, Peace and Security issues in Sudan, please see GIWPS’s monthly WPS conflict tracker for Sudan, the 2026 Conflicts and Trends to Watch Report, and Sudan’s ranking on the WPS Index.