TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The report shared by UNICEF on Tuesday, March 4, 2025, revealed that children under the age of five, including babies, have become victims of sexual abuse amidst the raging war in Sudan. The war occurred between the Sudanese military and the paramilitary group Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
UNICEF, in its report, cited data compiled by groups in Sudan tasked with assisting survivors of sexual violence. The data showed that there were 221 recorded cases of sexual violence experienced by children last year. The children in the data were under 16, including 4-year-old toddlers. Out of the 221 recorded cases, one-third of the victims were boys.
The compiled data included several cases from all over Sudan. However, some volunteers and human rights groups believed that the figure only represented a small portion of the cases in the field. This is due to stigma, fear of retaliation, and lack of access to medical facilities, which limits reporting.
Some survivors who spoke to UNICEF said they became pregnant as a result of the sexual abuse they had experienced. Consequently, they were rejected by their relatives as they were deemed additional burdens.
A woman detained alongside other women and teenage girls recounted that after 9 p.m., someone would open the door carrying a whip. The perpetrator would then choose their victim for the night and take them to another room.
As reported by Reuters, a victim of sexual violence mentioned hearing teenage victims screaming and crying. The victims were almost unconscious upon returning to the detention room, a victim said.
UNICEF did not explicitly name who was responsible for the rape of these children. UNICEF only mentioned that the Sudanese military and Rapid Support Forces should respect international law. The Rapid Support Forces and the Sudanese military have yet to comment on this UNICEF report.
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