In brief
As Sudan's civil war escalates, UNICEF's latest findings reveal that armed men have subjected hundreds of children to sexual violence, with some victims as young as one year old. The report sheds light on the horrific realities faced by survivors, exacerbated by societal stigma and a lack of protective resources.
Armed men in Sudan have perpetrated horrific acts of sexual violence against hundreds of children amid the ongoing civil conflict, a new report from UNICEF reveals. As the war drags into its third year, health providers in Sudan have documented 221 cases of rape since the beginning of 2024, including shocking instances involving children as young as one year old.The report details the plight of 221 victims, of which 147 were girls and 74 were boys. Disturbingly, 16 of the victims were younger than five, and four were just one year old. Detailed accounts from survivors depict harrowing experiences of abduction, brutality, and the aftermath of violent assaults. Several children were reportedly selected by armed men and returned to their homes in states of severe physical and psychological distress, some after being subjected to gang rape.Alongside instances of rape, there are also records of serious physical injuries, psychological trauma, and forced child marriages resulting from the conflict. Many victims have tested positive for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections as a result of these violent acts.Although comprehensive data on sexual violence in Sudan is lacking, a 2024 U.N. fact-finding mission confirmed that gender-based violence, including rape and sexual slavery, has become rampant in areas of intensifying conflict between the Sudanese military and the Rapid Support Forces, a paramilitary group. The ongoing war, which ignited in April 2023, has resulted in tens of thousands of fatalities and the displacement of over 11 million individuals.The U.N. mission indicated that sexual violence has been perpetrated by both factions involved in the conflict, with a significant majority of reported cases identifying armed men aligned with the Rapid Support Forces as the aggressors.UNICEF spokesperson Tess Ingram, the report's lead author, emphasized the dire choices that survivors often face following such traumatic experiences. “The horror and suffering do not simply end when the violence does,” Ingram noted. In a society marked by stigma, survivors frequently grapple with the dilemma of whether to disclose their assaults, risking shame and ostracization. Victims who become pregnant face tough decisions, such as adopting out their babies or raising them alone despite insufficient support systems. Ingram shared the story of one young survivor who, after navigating the challenges of foster care, chose to keep her child—a decision compounded by the lack of accommodation available for pregnant women.“Now, the baby’s 8 months old and still doesn’t have a home to live in,” Ingram lamented, highlighting the ongoing struggle faced by survivors in Sudan.
