UN Reports Sharp Rise in Conflict-Related Sexual Violence, Nearly 10,000 Cases Verified in 2025

The United Nations has raised alarm over a significant increase in conflict-related sexual violence worldwide, revealing that nearly 10,000 verified cases were recorded across 21 conflict-affected countries in 2025.

Presenting the UN’s annual report at its headquarters, Pramila Patten, the UN Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict, said the world witnessed a disturbing escalation in the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war, terrorism, torture, and political repression.

According to the report, a total of 9,788 cases were verified during the year. However, the UN emphasized that the figure represents only documented incidents and likely reflects just a fraction of the actual number of abuses committed globally.

The report found that victims were subjected to a range of violations, including rape, gang rape, sexual slavery, forced marriage, trafficking, and abduction, carried out by both state and non-state actors.

While women and girls remained the primary targets, the report also documented incidents involving men and boys, particularly in detention settings where sexual violence was allegedly used as a method of torture. LGBTQI+ individuals were also identified as facing heightened risks in conflict zones.

Victims ranged from infants as young as one year old to elderly adults, including people living with disabilities. The UN noted that many incidents involved extreme brutality, with some survivors reportedly killed after the assaults, while others later died by suicide.

Patten stressed that the report highlights the immense human suffering experienced by survivors and communities affected by conflict, urging the international community to place victims’ needs at the center of its response efforts.

The findings also revealed that armed groups and criminal networks continue to use sexual violence as a means of controlling populations and territories, particularly in fragile regions and areas rich in natural resources.

According to the UN, factors such as displacement, insecurity, and weakened protection systems have increased the vulnerability of women and girls, especially in remote communities and border regions. At the same time, restrictions on humanitarian access and funding shortages have made it more difficult to document abuses and provide essential support services to survivors.

The organization is calling on governments and the United Nations Security Council to strengthen prevention measures, improve accountability for perpetrators, and expand support services for survivors.

Among its recommendations are increased humanitarian access, stronger monitoring and sanctions mechanisms, enhanced investigations and prosecutions, greater support for women’s protection advisers in UN missions, and increased funding for medical, psychological, and legal assistance programmes.

Patten urged world leaders to move beyond political considerations and focus on protecting victims and survivors, describing conflict-related sexual violence as a global crisis that requires urgent and coordinated action.