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Warning: This article contains details of sexual violence that some people may find distressing.
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has reported that armed groups in Sudan are committing horrific acts of sexual violence, including the rape and assault of children as young as one year old, amid the country’s ongoing civil war.
Mass sexual violence has been extensively documented as a tactic of war during the nearly two-year conflict, but UNICEF’s report provides the first detailed account of its devastating impact on young children.
Alarmingly, one-third of the victims are boys, who often face significant barriers in reporting such crimes and accessing the necessary support due to societal stigma and cultural challenges.
UNICEF has officially recorded 221 cases of rape against children since the beginning of 2024 but warns that the actual number is likely far higher, as reported by BBC.
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The UNICEF report offers a harrowing glimpse into the widespread abuse of children amid Sudan’s civil war, shedding light on the horrific realities faced by the youngest and most vulnerable.
Among its most disturbing findings is the revelation that 16 of the victims were under the age of five, including four infants—a stark illustration of the brutality inflicted on innocent lives.
While UNICEF does not explicitly identify the perpetrators, other United Nations investigations have attributed the majority of sexual violence cases to the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
These reports allege that RSF fighters have systematically used sexual violence as a weapon to terrorise civilians and suppress resistance to their military campaigns.
The UNICEF report provides a harrowing account of the widespread sexual violence occurring in Sudan’s civil war, with chilling details that highlight the severity of the crisis.
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As Mohamed Chande Othman, chair of the UN’s fact-finding mission, stated in October,
The sheer scale of sexual violence we have documented in Sudan is staggering
Evidence from international human rights groups suggests that victims in Darfur, a stronghold of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), were often targeted because of their ethnic identity as Black Africans rather than Arabs.
This appears to be part of a systematic effort to drive these communities out of Sudan.
Despite the overwhelming need, the UN’s humanitarian response in Sudan remains severely underfunded.
Recent cuts in US aid are expected to further diminish critical programs designed to support victims of sexual violence and other atrocities.
The UNICEF report includes deeply distressing accounts from survivors.
One adult female survivor, Omnia (not her real name), recounted her experience of being held captive by armed men alongside other women and girls:
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After nine at night, someone opens the door, carrying a whip, selects one of the girls, and takes her to another room. I could hear the little girl crying and screaming.
They were raping her. Every time they raped her, this girl would come back covered in blood. She is still just a young child.
They only release these girls at dawn, and they return almost unconscious. Each of them cries and speaks incoherently. During the 19 days I spent there, I reached a point where I wanted to end my life.
Sudan, fractured by war, remains one of the most difficult places in the world to deliver essential services and support to frontline workers.
The conflict has displaced millions, leaving women and children increasingly vulnerable to violence and exploitation.
According to the UN, three out of four school-age girls are currently out of school, further exacerbating their vulnerability and limiting their opportunities for safety and education.