The United Nations has reported 9,788 verified cases of conflict-related sexual violence in 2025, marking a sharp increase from around 4,600 cases verified in 2024, according to its latest annual report.
The figures, published in the UN Secretary-General’s annual report on conflict-related sexual violence, reflect only verified incidents and are widely considered to represent a significant undercount due to insecurity, stigma and limited access to reporting mechanisms in conflict-affected areas.
The UN says the true scale of abuse is likely far higher.
As the world marks the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict on June 19, the report highlights a continuing upward trend in documented cases across multiple war zones.
Sudan emerges as one of the worst-affected countries, where humanitarian agencies and survivors describe sexual violence as a systematic feature of the ongoing war between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces, which began in April 2023.
Among survivors are (pseudonym) Dana, 16, and Yara, 19, two sisters abducted after fighting reached their village. They were held for months, beaten and repeatedly raped before escaping. Both later discovered they were pregnant.
“My little daughter tried to commit suicide by cutting her wrists,” their mother, Mariam, told UNICEF, describing severe psychological trauma and social isolation faced by the family.
The sisters now live in displacement and are receiving psychosocial and humanitarian support from women-led organisations. Their case reflects broader patterns documented by humanitarian agencies in Sudan’s ongoing conflict, which has displaced millions and created one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises.
UNICEF data shows at least 221 children were reported raped in Sudan between early 2024 and February 2025, including 147 girls and a smaller number of boys. Sixteen victims were under the age of five. An additional 77 cases of sexual assault, including attempted rape, were also recorded.
UNICEF said these figures represent only reported cases and likely underestimate the scale of abuse due to fear, stigma and lack of reporting mechanisms.
Another survivor, Omnia, who was held for 19 days, described witnessing repeated assaults on girls detained with her.
“They brought in a young girl, 16 years old, at 1am during Ramadan,” she said. “Her clothes were soaked in blood.”
She now lives in displacement and receives psychosocial care while continuing to fear for her safety.
Doctors Without Borders (MSF) reported treating 3,396 survivors of sexual violence in Darfur during 2024–25, with 97% of victims being women and girls. In South Darfur, about one-fifth of survivors were children, and the organisation also recorded dozens of cases involving children under five.
In Tawila, MSF said it treated 732 survivors in a single month at one facility, concluding that sexual violence is being used systematically as a weapon of war, particularly in areas controlled or contested by armed groups.
The UN estimates more than 12 million people have been displaced since the Sudan conflict began in April 2023.
Death toll estimates vary widely, with some assessments putting fatalities above 150,000, while monitoring groups such as ACLED report lower verified figures due to data constraints.
The UN Human Rights Office reported more than 11,300 civilian deaths in 2025, nearly triple the previous year, alongside continued documentation of rape, sexual slavery and sexual torture.
UN officials have also warned of escalating attacks on civilians and infrastructure across multiple regions, including Darfur.
Beyond Sudan, the UN report documents widespread conflict-related sexual violence in countries including the Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Sudan, Somalia, Haiti and the Central African Republic.
Women and girls remain the majority of victims, though men and boys are also affected, the report said.
The UN stressed that the 9,788 verified cases represent a minimum threshold rather than the full global scale of abuse.
Bangladesh has its own historical and regional context regarding conflict-related sexual violence. During the 1971 Liberation War, widespread sexual violence was committed against women, many of whom were later recognised as Birangona (war heroines) and freedom fighters.
Humanitarian agencies also continue to provide support to Rohingya women and girls in the refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar, who report sexual violence during military operations in Myanmar that triggered mass displacement into Bangladesh in 2017.
In his message for the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said sexual violence in war is “not accidental but a deliberate strategy.”
He said it is used “to punish communities, destroy social structures and break families apart.”
Guterres called for stronger protection of civilians, accountability for perpetrators, prevention of violence and comprehensive support for survivors.
He stressed that “children must never be targets of war” and said protecting them is both a legal and moral responsibility. This year’s observance focuses on the “deep and lasting intergenerational wounds of conflict-related sexual violence.”
“To break the cycle, we must confront the horrors of the past, support the survivors of today, and protect future generations from the same fate,” he said.
Despite international legal frameworks classifying rape in conflict as a war crime and a crime against humanity, accountability remains limited.
For survivors in Sudan and other conflict zones, access to justice is often blocked by insecurity, weak institutions and ongoing violence.
As global verified cases rise, the UN warns that the gap between legal commitments and realities on the ground remains wide.
For survivors like Dana, Yara and Omnia, the question remains whether international attention will translate into protection, accountability and long-term support.