Armed groups are committing horrific acts of sexual violence against children as young as one year old during Sudan’s civil war, according to a new report by UNICEF.
The UN children’s agency has documented 221 cases of rape against minors since the start of 2024, but warns the actual number is likely much higher. The report highlights the devastating impact of the conflict on children, revealing that a third of the victims are boys who often face additional stigma when reporting such crimes.
Perhaps most shocking, 16 of the reported victims were under five years old, including four infants. Sudan’s deeply conservative society, combined with fear of retaliation from armed groups, prevents many survivors and their families from coming forward.
While UNICEF did not name the perpetrators, previous UN investigations have largely blamed the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which have been accused of using sexual violence as a weapon of war. The RSF, engaged in a brutal conflict against Sudan’s Armed Forces, has denied any wrongdoing.
“The scale of sexual violence we have documented in Sudan is staggering,” said Mohamed Chande Othman, chair of the UN’s fact-finding mission. Reports indicate that in RSF-controlled areas such as Darfur, many victims were targeted based on ethnicity, with black African civilians subjected to systematic attacks.
The ongoing war has left Sudan in chaos, displacing millions and making women and children more vulnerable. Three out of four school-age girls are now out of school, increasing their exposure to violence. Medical services are scarce, as many hospitals and clinics have been looted or destroyed.
Adding to the crisis, recent cuts in US foreign aid have further weakened efforts to support survivors. Many grassroots organizations, which provided emergency response and safe spaces for victims, have been forced to shut down due to lack of funding. The UN’s Sudan Humanitarian Fund dedicates less than 2% of its total funding to women-led initiatives, despite their critical role in assisting survivors.
A Sudanese human rights defender, Sulaima Elkhalifa, told the BBC that survivors of rape have little time to process their trauma as they struggle to find food and safety amid the war. “They don’t have the luxury of being depressed,” she said.
With Sudan descending further into chaos, the international community faces growing pressure to intervene and address the urgent humanitarian crisis unfolding in the country.
