Armed groups in Sudan’s civil war are committing widespread sexual violence against children, with some victims as young as one year old, according to a new report from UNICEF. Released Tuesday, the report documented 221 cases of child rape in Sudan since the beginning of 2024.
Children have been raped during invasions, while fleeing violence, or while held in captivity, UNICEF said. In some cases, they were assaulted in exchange for food or other necessities. One-third of the documented victims were boys, and at least 16 were under the age of five.
This holiday season, give to:
Truth and understanding
The Media Line's intrepid correspondents are in Israel, Gaza, Lebanon, Syria and Pakistan providing first-person reporting.
They all said they cover it.
We see it.
We report with just one agenda: the truth.
The report noted that social stigma is likely preventing many other victims from coming forward and suggested that the true number of victims is significantly higher.
“Children as young as one being raped by armed men should shock anyone to their core and compel immediate action,” Catherine Russell, executive director of UNICEF, said. “Millions of children in Sudan are at risk of rape and other forms of sexual violence, which is being used as a tactic of war.”
The civil war in Sudan, which erupted in April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, has displaced millions and devastated communities across the country. Human rights organizations have blamed Rapid Support Forces fighters for many of the rapes, though the group denies responsibility.
UNICEF called for an immediate end to the use of sexual violence and urged that funding to prevent gender-based violence be prioritized.