They fled war, now female Sudanese refugees say they’re being forced to have sex to survive

The war in Sudan has a devastating impact on women and girls. For an easier access to assistance, jobs and promises to receive money, some female Sudanese refugees say they have been sexually exploited in Chad.

Such sexual exploitation is a crime in the Sahelian nation.

“We came to Chad and the food they gave us was not enough, so I slept with a man and I gave birth to this child. I had four children (from marriage), this is the fifth child. I had to, because they don’t give us enough to eat.”

The 27-year-old mom cradled her last born, who she said was the child of an aid worker who promised her money in exchange for sex. The women who spoke to the AP requested anonymity because they feared retribution from the men who they said exploited them.

The women and girls interviewed in Adre camp, near the border with Sudan asserted the men who exploited them included humanitarian workers and local security forces.

A 19-year-old refugee said she saw many of her own family members killed in front of her before fleeing. She arrived with her mother at the Aboutengue camp.

“In the camp, living conditions were difficult for us, so I went to work in the sex trade with the intention of covering our domestic expenses,” she said. She also gave birth to a child after engaging in sex work. “Now I regret what happened.”

Ali Mahamat Sebey, the prefect for the area called the allegations against security forces false.

The majority of Sudanese refugees in Chad are women. Aid groups struggle to support them in growing displacement sites.

"The fact that assistance is not enough for them can be a reason for them to go for survival sex."

The UN Refugee Agency said displacement camps have “safe spaces” where women can gather, along with a free hotline and feedback boxes to report abuse anonymously.

However, using the boxes could draw attention some women fear, many didn't even know those existed.