Ethar Shalaby

The war in Sudan, particularly the siege and fall of El Fasher, has left many children born after conflict-related rape without birth certificates, national identification or a legally recognized father. A 17-year-old survivor identified as Amira was abducted and raped by alleged Rapid Support Forces members, later giving birth with humanitarian medical support but remaining unable to register her son because she cannot provide information about his father. Aid workers and legal experts say the lack of documentation prevents access to vaccinations, healthcare, education, travel and other legal rights. Sudanese law allows children born outside marriage to be registered using their mother's name, but the process generally requires an official report of sexual assault, which many survivors—often minors—are unable or unwilling to make. The war has also closed civil-registration offices across Darfur, leaving thousands of children undocumented.

Children born during Sudan’s war, particularly after sexual violence, are being left without birth certificates or national identification because fathers are unknown or absent and civil-registration services have collapsed. The lack of legal identity prevents access to vaccinations, healthcare, education, travel and other rights. Humanitarian workers say stigma and the fact that many mothers are minors suppress official reporting, while Sudanese law theoretically permits registration through the mother after a formal assault complaint. Advocates call for civil registries to reopen in accessible areas and for legal procedures that protect children without requiring vulnerable survivors to navigate unsafe reporting systems.

Children born amid Sudan's war, particularly in Darfur, are often left without birth certificates or national numbers when their fathers are unknown or absent, including babies born after rape. Amira, a 17-year-old survivor from El-Fasher, has been unable to register her son, limiting access to vaccination, healthcare, education and future travel documents. Aid workers say stigma, the age of many mothers, fear of reporting sexual assaults and the collapse of civil-registration services prevent thousands of births from being documented. Sudanese law permits registration under the mother's name after an assault is reported, but lawyers and humanitarian groups say accessible registry offices and legal support must be restored to protect these children's rights.

Children born amid Sudan's war, particularly those conceived through rape, are being left without birth certificates or national identification because registration often requires information about the father and, in some cases, a formal assault report. The collapse of civil registry services in Darfur compounds the problem, restricting access to vaccinations, healthcare, education, travel documents and other rights. Aid workers and a Sudanese lawyer warn that stigma, the age of many mothers and fear of reporting sexual violence could leave an entire generation in legal and social limbo, and call for registry offices to be reopened and registration procedures enforced.