As Sudan’s civil war rages on, thousands of women fleeing violence face unimaginable horrors in Libya. The journey meant to offer safety has become a nightmare of exploitation, rape, and abuse.
Layla, a mother of six, fled her home in Omdurman after her family was attacked during the war. Hoping for refuge, she crossed into Libya but was immediately held hostage by traffickers. Beaten and extorted, her son sustained injuries requiring medical attention. Although eventually released, her ordeal continued as her daughter was raped, and her family now lives in abject fear and poverty.
Millions of Sudanese have been displaced since the civil war erupted in 2023, with over 12 million forced from their homes. Many sought refuge in Egypt but faced worsening conditions, pushing them toward Libya. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) estimates that more than 210,000 Sudanese refugees now live in Libya.
For Salma, a mother of three, the transition to Libya was devastating. Traffickers detained her family in a warehouse, torturing her children and raping her repeatedly. “Sometimes I wished we would all die together,” she said, recounting the inhumane abuse. Eventually released after raising ransom money, Salma now struggles with abandonment, hunger, and trauma.
Another woman, Jamila, fled Sudan with hopes of a better life. Instead, she and her daughters endured repeated sexual violence and racial abuse. Attempts to seek justice were met with threats of imprisonment, highlighting the lack of legal protections for migrants in Libya.
Libya’s political instability exacerbates the plight of refugees. Divided governance, coupled with the absence of refugee protections, leaves women vulnerable to abuse by traffickers and authorities alike. Reports by human rights organizations, including Amnesty International and Médecins Sans Frontières, reveal systemic violence in detention centers and unofficial facilities.
Hanaa, another survivor, was abducted, raped, and detained without cause. She described witnessing brutal beatings and inhumane conditions in a state-funded facility. Such stories reflect the grim reality for many Sudanese refugees in Libya, where sexual violence, forced labor, and torture are alarmingly common.
As the international community turns its gaze to Sudan’s escalating conflict, the plight of these women in Libya underscores the urgent need for intervention. Without humanitarian aid and legal protections, countless Sudanese women remain trapped in a cycle of violence and despair, yearning for the safety that drove them from their homes.
