Press Release: 

Port Sudan - 17 April 2025 Canada Contributes Additional CAD 7 Million to Support UNFPA’s Response to Gender-Based Violence in Sudan 

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) expresses its deep appreciation to the people and Government of Canada for their continued and generous support in addressing gender-based violence (GBV), including sexual violence, in Sudan through the project “Combating and Responding to SGBV in Sudan.” 

Canada has announced an additional contribution of CAD 7 million to support UNFPA’s work in Sudan. This funding builds on an ongoing project launched in October 2023, which had already provided direct essential services to more than 107,000 people as of February 2026. With this new support, the initiative is expected to reach nearly 80,000 additional individuals directly, while approximately 400,000 people will benefit overall through strengthened protection systems and expanded life-saving services. 

This contribution comes at a critical time, as needs continue to rise due to ongoing conflict, widespread displacement, and the collapse of essential services across Sudan. The funding will ensure continued access to essential support for survivors of violence, including case management, psychosocial services, safe spaces, and referral pathways. It will also enable the expansion of GBV prevention and response efforts in Darfur and Kordofan. 

UNFPA will further strengthen frontline capacity by training healthcare providers in the clinical management of rape and by deepening partnerships with local organizations, particularly women-led groups. Outreach efforts will also be scaled up through mobile teams to reach remote areas and newly displaced populations. 

“Women and girls are the first deliberate victims of these three years of war in Sudan. What continues to take place is widespread gender-based violence: atrocities, including sexual violence, committed against women and girls because they are women and girls. On top of this, the systems meant to protect them are either no longer existing or very limited: women and girls have not only nowhere, or very few safe places, to turn to but also they have lost their first protection system: the families. Accountability for perpetrators of these atrocities is non-existing. Women and girls have lost everything except the determination to save their lives and those of their children. The response needs to start from their immediate needs:  sustained investment in life-saving services, including protection from gender-based violence and reproductive health. We are very grateful to the Government and people of Canada for their continued support to the women and girls of Sudan, putting their needs, dignity and rights at the centre of the response” said  Fabrizia Falcione, UNFPA Representative in Sudan. 

“Canada remains firmly committed to supporting the people of Sudan—especially women and girls, who are bearing the brunt of this crisis. Sexual violence is being used as a weapon of war. The bodies of women and girls have become a battleground. Canada’s additional support to UNFPA reinforces our determination to prevent and respond to sexual and gender-based violence, strengthen local and women-led protection efforts, and ensure survivors can access life-saving care. This partnership is grounded in our shared humanity and the conviction that every person deserves to live in safety and dignity.” H.E. Nicolas Simard, Ambassador of Canada to Ethiopia and Djibouti, Head of Mission for Sudan 

The extension of the project through December 2026 will ensure sustained response capacity during this critical period, reaffirming UNFPA’s commitment to safeguarding the dignity, safety, and rights of women and girls across Sudan.

###

For more information: 

Sufian Abdulmouty, UNFPA Sudan Communication Specialist: abdul-mouty@unfpa.org