This project aims to increase the ability of humanitarian actors to identify and respond to the needs and rights of victims of sexual violence. It also aims to improve the availability of services for sexual violence survivors.

The study will generate evidence, identify good practices and disseminate lessons learnt about sexual violence in six different humanitarian settings across South Yemen, Northern Nigeria and Haiti. This project is supported by funding from the European Union.

Sexual and gender-based violence is one of the greatest human rights and public health challenges faced during humanitarian emergencies. Women and girls are the most common survivors of sexual violence. However, sexual violence against men and boys remains an under-reported reality.

While sexual violence is present in all societies, it is usually exacerbated by conflict or natural disasters. The breakdown of law and order during such crises means that perpetrators often abuse with impunity. And women and girls often don’t report sexual violence committed by community members due to loyalty concerns and social pressures. Reliable data about the impact of sexual violence in humanitarian situations is therefore scare.

Building an evidence base for sexual violence in humanitarian settings

This explorative qualitative study will improve the understanding of sexual violence services among high risk groups in humanitarian settings. This includes both conflict settings (Yemen and Nigeria) and natural disaster recovery settings (Haiti). Specifically, this research will explore and assess the availability, quality and accessibility of health, psychosocial and protection services and the functioning of referral systems regarding sexual violence in these settings. This evidence base will ultimately be used to inform service providers, humanitarian actors and policymakers.

The study has four primary objectives:

1. Explore how sexual violence in humanitarian settings affects, girls, boys and men
2. Assess what medical and psychosocial assistance survivors have access to, and identify gaps in protection, with particular attention to gender
3. Assess whether relevant international standards on medical and psychosocial services, international World Health Organisation protocol, as well as international humanitarian law (where applicable) and international human rights laws, are adhered to
4. Explore existing good practices in the context of Nigeria, Yemen and Haiti which should be reproduced in other humanitarian settings.

Supported by funding from the European Union

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