Source: UN News: Monday, 05 January 2026 00:01 AM
More than 35 thousand cases of sexual violence against children have been committed in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in the first nine months of 2025, and the situation is worsening across the country. According to a new report by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), violent conflict is a major reason for this, but since the year 2022, its cases have increased rapidly in every province and community. Agencies focused on protection and gender-based violence recorded more than 35 thousand cases of sexual violence against children in the first nine months of 2025, which is being carried out systematically on a large scale. He has termed it a crisis which is continuously increasing. Tweet URL
In the year 2024, a total of 45 thousand cases of sexual violence against children were recorded, which is about 40 percent of the total sexual violence cases. This figure is three times higher than in 2022. The UN agency has expressed concern that these figures show that children are being harmed on a continuing, widespread scale. Information on many cases is difficult to obtain due to fear, perceived stigma, insecurity and lack of access to essential services, and so the actual figure is likely to be much higher. Mothers are traveling for hours to reach clinics, said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell, while victims of sexual violence are unable to walk. “Families say they are reluctant to report abuse cases due to fear of retaliation and stigmatization. “Such stories are being repeated across provinces, highlighting a deeply entrenched crisis driven by insecurity, inequality, and weak support systems.” Vulnerable to risks The UN agency said most cases of sexual violence occurred in North Kivu, South Kivu and Ituri provinces in the eastern part of the DRC, where violent conflict, displacement and protection systems are at risk. However, large numbers of cases have also been reported in the capital Kinshasa and Kasai, which struggle with poverty, food insecurity, and lack of schooling, putting girls at risk of exploitation and early marriage. Teenage girls are reported to be most affected, but boys have also been victims of sexual violence and cases are rarely confirmed. Children living with a disability are at greater risk. Is. Physical, social and communication barriers leave them vulnerable and limited in access to care and welfare services.Unicef reported that reported cases of sexual violence against children were already at high levels in 2022 and 2023, but saw a 30 percent jump in 2024. Victims of sexual violence often face injuries, unwanted pregnancies, HIV infection and other sexually transmitted infections, and apart from this, they also suffer emotional damage – fear, anxiety, depression. At the same time, support for life-saving services remains limited. Support for victims UNICEF, in collaboration with the DRC government and its partner organizations, is working to provide essential services to child victims. Under this, they are being provided clinical care, psychosocial support, safe shelter, and other services. However, insecurity and humanitarian funding cuts have forced UNICEF-supported services to either close or downgrade. Only 23 percent of services focused on gender-based violence were active in mid-2025, compared to 48 percent in 2022, putting millions of children at risk.
