The UK remains determined to tackle the abhorrent levels of conflict related sexual violence (CRSV) against women and girls in Sudan, including the widespread use of rape as a weapon of war.

Since the start of the conflict, we have prioritised work on protection, prevention and care services, providing access to vital medical and psychological care, supporting survivors' families, and supporting women-led organisations to deliver essential services on-the-ground. Earlier this year, the Foreign Secretary announced a further £20 million of funding for these activities after meeting survivors in the border town of Adré.

Alongside our atrocity prevention work, the UK is also committed to gathering evidence of atrocities to support future prosecutions. We led efforts to establish the UN Fact-Finding Mission and have secured its mandate extension for two successive years. We also supported the deployment of a specialist sexual and gender-based violence investigator last year, and through our Sudan Witness programme, we are supporting Sudanese human rights defenders to document violations and abuses, including evidence of CRSV, to ensure Sudanese civil society can build a foundation for justice. We have also earmarked funding for development of a women-led investigations network.

We need urgent action from across the international community now, including international criminal investigations into the atrocities committed to date, to ensure accountability for the perpetrators, justice for victims, and an end to the systematic campaign of sexual violence against Sudanese women and girls.