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A new study by a team of researchers from Canada, the UK, and South Sudan – including Susan Bartels, professor of Emergency Medicine at Queen’s University and Canada Research Chair in Humanitarian Health Equity – reveals the devastating role of sexual violence in forcing thousands of people, especially young girls, to flee Sudan for South Sudan amid the ongoing conflict and instability.

The violent conflict in Sudan, ongoing since 2023, between the national army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces has resulted in more than 150,000 deaths and caused millions to seek safety across the border in South Sudan, a country already fragile after years of civil war and humanitarian challenges.

Dr. Bartels and her colleagues gathered nearly 700 first-person accounts from migrants and returnees at the Sudan-South Sudan border. More than half of participants identified sexual and gender-based violence as the main reason they fled. Adolescent girls aged 13 to 17 were especially at risk, frequently targeted for abduction, rape, and forced marriage.

“Our research shows that sexual violence is not just a consequence of war – it is a driving force behind people’s decision to leave their homes,” Dr. Bartels says. “These survivors often arrive at border settlements without access to medical care, shelter, or support.”

Conditions in border settlements are harsh, with limited healthcare, poor shelter, and scarce food supplies. Support organizations face funding shortages even as the need for survivor-centered protection and justice services grows.

The research team calls for urgent international support, including better healthcare services at border crossings, increased funding for women’s organizations, and strengthened protection measures for displaced people.

Dr. Bartels recently co-authored a piece on this research in .

To interview Susan Bartels, contact:
Andrew Carroll, Media Relations Officer andrew.carroll@queensu.ca | 613-876-8059