According to a new United Nations report released on Thursday, sexual violence reached "unprecedented levels" in armed conflicts last year, with the highest number of cases recorded in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Central African Republic, South Sudan, Somalia, and Haiti. The report warns of the devastating health and social consequences faced by survivors amid shrinking access to humanitarian assistance.
The annual Report of the Secretary-General on Conflict-Related Sexual Violence documents over 4,600 verified cases of sexual violence in 2024 â a shocking 25 percent jump from the previous year. However, these verified cases do not reflect the global scale and prevalence of these crimes, particularly given the lack of access to survivors in ongoing wars in countries such as Sudan and Myanmar.
Committed by both state and non-state actors, these crimes were used as tactics of war, repression, and terror across 21 conflict-affected countries. Due to underreporting and verification obstacles like insecurity, the report emphasizes that these figures only capture the tip of the iceberg.
The highest number of cases were recorded last year in the Central African Republic (CAR), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Haiti, Somalia, and South Sudan. Survivors ranged in age from 1 to 75 years old, with women and girls comprising the overwhelming majority (92 percent).
Other victims included men, boys, LGBTQ+ individuals, people with disabilities, and members of ethnic minorities. In many instances, sexual assaults were accompanied by extreme brutality, including the execution of victims after rape. Children born of wartime rape often face abandonment, stigma, and deepening cycles of poverty.
Sexual violence in detention and displacement
One of the reportâs most disturbing findings is the surge of sexual violence in detention facilities. Victims, primarily men and boys but also women and girls, were subjected to sexual abuse as a form of torture, humiliation, and coercion. Non-state armed groups also used sexual violence to consolidate territorial control, enforce extremist ideologies, and exploit natural resources.
The easy availability of small arms, coupled with mass displacement and food insecurity, further exposed women and girls to heightened risks of abduction, trafficking, and sexual slavery. UN-sanctioned terrorist groups were among those engaged in systematic sexual exploitation.
Humanitarian access shrinks when survivors need it most
The report paints a bleak picture of services for survivors and notes that parties to armed conflicts often block or restrict humanitarian access for them.
âThe unprecedented severity and scale of destruction of healthcare facilities, and attacks, harassment and threats against frontline service providers, has severely hampered access to life-saving assistance for survivors in conflict settings,â said Pramila Patten, the UN Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict.
In many contexts, survivors could not reach medical facilities within the critical 72-hour window when post-rape kits and HIV prevention treatments are most effective. Mental health services, legal aid, and livelihood support remain chronically underfunded, leaving thousands without support.
To address these issues, UN Secretary-General AntĂłnio Guterres is calling for sustainable funding through the UN Multi-Partner Trust Fund on Conflict-Related Sexual Violence and for the deployment of Women's Protection Advisers in accordance with Security Council Resolution 2467 (2019).
Naming perpetrators, advancing accountability
The report's annex lists 63 state and non-state actors who are credibly suspected of committing conflict-related sexual violence. While compliance with international humanitarian law remains weak, some non-state armed groups have made formal commitments to curb abuses.
The report recommends stronger accountability mechanisms, including the consistent application of targeted sanctions. Notably, Security Council Resolution 2734 (2024) extended the criteria for sanctions to include sexual and gender-based violence in its counterterrorism regime, thereby integrating sexual violence into global counterterrorism frameworks for the first time.
Newly listed groups include the Congolese armed group RĂ©sistance pour un Etat de Droit (RED) Tabara, which was implicated in mass rapes in 2024; Libyaâs Deterrence Agency for Combatting Organized Crime and Terrorism (DACOT), as well as Libyaâs Department for Combating Illegal Migration (DCIM), both of which are accused of abuses in detention; and the Palestinian armed group Hamas, which was listed following verified reports of sexual violence during and after the October 2023 attacks.
For the first time, the report introduces an "on notice" appendix for parties at risk of being listed in the next reporting cycle.
Due to consistent denial of access to UN monitors, patterns of sexual violence by Israeli armed and security forces in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT) and by Russian forces in Ukraine could not be fully verified. However, both are flagged as particularly concerning areas, especially in detention settings.
âWe owe survivors more than solidarityâ
In the report, the Secretary-General reiterated his call for all parties to issue clear orders prohibiting sexual violence, hold perpetrators accountable, and allow UN monitors and humanitarian providers unhindered access.
Patten emphasized that commitments on paper are insufficient.
âThe promise expressed by the Security Council through its six dedicated resolutions on conflict-related sexual violence is prevention,â she said.
âWe owe survivors more than solidarity; we owe them a life of dignity and effective and decisive action to prevent and eradicate these crimes.â
A crisis demanding global attention
The report comes 25 years after the adoption of the landmark Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace, and Security, which recognized the disproportionate suffering of women in armed conflict and the importance of their participation in peacebuilding efforts. However, as this year's findings demonstrate, sexual violence continues to be a prevalent weapon of war, destabilizing communities and causing generational harm.
Without scaled-up, comprehensive services â from emergency healthcare to socioeconomic reintegration â survivors will continue to bear the brunt of international inaction. As conflicts expand and humanitarian access narrows, the UN warns that sexual violence risks becoming an entrenched feature of modern warfare unless prevention, protection, and accountability are prioritized.
Further information
Full text: Conflict-related sexual violence, Report of the Secretary-General (S/2025/389), UN Secretary-General AntĂłnio Guterres, report, released August 14, 2025
https://www.un.org/sexualviolenceinconflict/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/2024-SG-annual-report-on-CRSV-ENGLISH.pdf