IsraAID's Chatbot Offers Lifeline to Sexual Assault Survivors in South Sudan

Last Updated Mar - 17 - 2025, 12:46 PM | Source : Fela News

IsraAID an Israeli organisation has developed a chatbot to offer help to sexual assault survivors.

After being gang-raped by armed men while collecting firewood, the 28-year-old tried in vain to get help. Some clinics were, others told he to return later, and she had no money to access a hospital. Some social workers wrote her information down on a piece of paper but because of many such cases, hers got lost and after 72 hours she thought it was pointless to get any prevention.

Five months after the assault, she lay on a mat in one of the displacement camps in South Sudan’s capital, rubbing her swollen belly, she said, "I felt like I wasn't heard ... and now I'm pregnant.”

Sexual assault is a constant risk for many women in South Sudan. Now one aid group is trying to bridge this gap with technology however, it's naturally proving a bit difficult due to low connectivity, wariness among people to discuss such sensitive issues, and high illiteracy.

IsraAID piloted a chatbot created on WhatsApp which primarily prompts its staff to ask questions to sexual assault survivors to anonymously share their experiences. The information is then shared with a social worker who almost immediately begins to handle the case, providing help to the person within hours.

Rape cases are a prominent problem in South Sudan, both among men and women, and speaking out in a place with so much stigma is also a major issue. This problem can only be solved with technology that guarantees anonymous support to the survivors and offers help in case of advice or medical aid while making them feel comfortable to talk about their experiences.