Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what steps his Department is taking to (a) support survivors and (b) help prevent the further use of rape as a weapon of war in Sudan.

Since the outbreak of conflict in April 2023, there has been a significant escalation of gender-based violence (GBV) in Sudan. The UK has pivoted our programme delivery to focus more on care for rape survivors. We have also integrated consideration of conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) into the humanitarian system, making use of Women's Centres, mobile clinics and internally displaced persons' gathering points, for community engagement and service provision. We continue to call on both warring parties to abide by their responsibilities under International Humanitarian Law to protect civilians, including from CRSV, as well as to grant immediate and unimpeded humanitarian access to allow the provision of, and access to, lifesaving assistance including comprehensive GBV services.