UN Warns of Escalating Sexual Violence in Conflict Zones by 2025
The United Nations Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict, Pramila Patten, has issued a stark warning that nearly 10,000 confirmed cases of conflict-related sexual violence are anticipated globally by 2025. This alarming forecast highlights a significant surge in the use of rape and other forms of sexual abuse as weapons of war.
Patten noted that the year 2025 is expected to experience a dramatic increase in recorded incidents of sexual violence, characterized by extreme brutality intertwined with tactics of war, torture, terrorism, and political repression. Women and girls remain the primary victims, according to her remarks during the launch of the UN’s annual report at UN Headquarters.
The details are outlined in a report published on the United Nations website, titled “Conflict-related sexual violence to more than double in 2025, UN warns,” which our correspondent obtained on Saturday. The report reviewed 9,788 cases across 21 nations adversely affected by conflict, but emphasized that these figures only reflect documented incidents and do not encompass the full breadth of the atrocities.
Patten cautioned against interpreting the data as exhaustive. “The figures contained in this report should not be understood as a complete picture, but rather as indicative of a broader pattern of violations that are largely invisible and under-reported,” she stated. The report enumerated various forms of abuse, including rape, gang rape, sexual slavery, forced marriage, human trafficking, and kidnapping, perpetrated by both state and non-state actors.
While the report predominantly focuses on incidents involving women and girls, it also acknowledges occurrences involving men and boys, particularly in detention settings or as methods of torture. Individuals from diverse age groups are affected, with the report citing cases that involve children as young as one year old and adults up to 70 years old, including those with disabilities.
The United Nations indicated that this violence often accompanies extreme brutality, with instances of survivors being raped only to be subsequently killed or driven to suicide. Emphasizing the core of the issue, Patten remarked on the profound human suffering endured by survivors and communities burdened by the shadows of war.
The report further addresses the influence of armed groups and criminal networks, stating that non-state actors frequently exploit sexual violence to exert control over territories and populations, particularly in vulnerable, resource-rich regions. It also highlights how displacement, insecurity, and deteriorating protective systems have exacerbated the susceptibility of women and girls, especially at borders and in remote locales.
Compounding these challenges are limited humanitarian access and funding shortages that significantly impede both the documentation of abuses and the provision of essential support services. The United Nations has called for enhanced prevention measures, accountability, and survivor-centered responses, urging Member States and the Security Council to amplify their actions in conflict zones.
Recommendations for Action
The report outlines a series of recommendations for strengthening prevention and support mechanisms. These include ensuring unimpeded humanitarian access, expanding monitoring and sanctions frameworks, backing the Women’s Protection Advisor in UN missions, fortifying investigations and prosecutions, and increasing funding for medical, psychosocial, and legal services.
Patten emphasized the need to maintain a survivor-centered focus, asserting, “These violations are not isolated or limited to a few circumstances. They are global in scope, devastating in their impact, and demand a response that centers the rights, needs, and dignity of victims and survivors, rather than political posturing, selective inhumanity, or preconceived narratives.”
