Worldwide conflict-related sexual violence increases by 25%, United Nations attributes it to lack of accountability
In a concerning development, the United Nations Secretary-General's annual report published in 2025 has highlighted a significant increase in conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) in several countries, particularly in Africa. The report shows a 25% increase from the previous year and a much larger increase over the past few years overall.
The countries with the highest numbers of verified CRSV cases are the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Central African Republic, Haiti, Somalia, and South Sudan.
In the DRC, the world's epicentre of CRSV, various armed groups, including the M23 rebels, have used sexual violence as a tactic in the conflict. Reports of rape and other war crimes have increased amidst ongoing fighting and displacement.
The Central African Republic and South Sudan also report very high CRSV incidents associated with prolonged conflicts, the involvement of non-state armed groups, and deteriorating security situations that undermine peace processes.
Haiti's conflict and violence, including attacks on health facilities, have limited access to lifesaving services, exacerbating the vulnerability of women and girls to sexual violence amid ongoing crises.
Similar challenges are faced in Somalia, where CRSV is prevalent in the context of armed conflict and restricted humanitarian access.
Israel and Russia are not central in recent UN CRSV statistics. While Russia is implicated through its involvement in Ukraine, where sexual violence has been reported as a weapon of war, this was not specifically highlighted in the core data on CRSV in the latest UN Secretary-General reports. Israel is not featured in the recent UN CRSV listings or reports regarding trends in sexual violence in conflict settings.
The data also reveal a worrying upward trend in CRSV verified cases globally. In Sudan, where civil war is raging, groups providing services to victims of sexual violence recorded 221 rape cases against 147 girls and 74 boys since the beginning of 2024, with 16% of survivors under 5 years of age.
The report defines "conflict-related sexual violence" to include rape, sexual slavery, forced prostitution, forced pregnancy, forced abortion, forced sterilization, forced marriage, and other forms of sexual violence. In detention facilities, sexual violence was reported in Israel, the Palestinian territories, Libya, Myanmar, Sudan, Syria, Ukraine, and Yemen.
The U.N. peacekeeping mission in the Central African Republic documented 215 cases of rape, gang rape, forced marriage, and sexual slavery affecting 215 women, 191 girls, and 7 men. More than 4,600 survivors of sexual violence were recorded in the U.N. report. The majority of victims are women and girls.
The report identifies 63 government and non-government actors across a dozen countries suspected of committing or enabling rape and other forms of sexual violence in conflict. More than 70% of the entities listed have appeared on the report's annex for five years or longer without taking meaningful steps to curb the violence.
The report is a call to action for the international community to address this pressing issue and ensure the protection of vulnerable populations in conflict zones.
- The UN report on conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) in 2025 highlights an increase in CRSV cases, particularly in Africa, with the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) being the epicenter of this issue.
- Politicians and officials in Israel are not currently featured in UN reports regarding trends in sexual violence in conflict settings, but sexual violence has been reported in detention facilities in countries like Libya, Myanmar, Sudan, Syria, Ukraine, and Yemen.
- General news outlets report a worrying upward trend in verified CRSV cases globally, with a significant number of incidents reported in health-and-wellness facilities in countries like Haiti and Sudan, where ongoing conflicts have limited access to lifesaving services and exacerbated the vulnerability of women and girls to sexual violence.
