UN Women sounds the alarm on hardships faced by women and girls in war-torn Sudan

As the conflict in Sudan rages on in its second year, UN Women is shedding light on the devastating impact of the fighting on women and girls.

The organisation states that the violence has heightened the risk of sexual violence faced by women, and that there are mounting reports of conflict-related sexual violence and abuse.

It notes that, since the conflict broke out, the number of those requiring gender-based violence services has increased by 100 percent, adding that a majority of these cases involve women.

It comes amid an increasingly dire humanitarian situation in the country, with women and girls the hardest hit. UM Women notes that 64 percent of female-headed households are grappling with food insecurity, in comparison with 48 percent of male-headed households, across 10 states.

UN Women has also highlighted another troubling figure: more than 160,000 women in the country are pregnant, and will likely have to give birth without adequate services. According to Doctors Without Borders, many healthcare facilities are struggling to stay afloat as resources grow increasingly thin on the ground.

Since the conflict erupted between the Sudanese army and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces in April last year, millions of residents have been displaced. The fighting has also left around half of the country's population facing crisis levels of hunger.