The United Nations has reported a significant global increase in conflict-related sexual violence in 2025, with nearly 10,000 verified cases recorded across 21 conflict-affected countries.
Presenting the UN’s annual report at its headquarters, Pramila Patten said the world had witnessed a disturbing rise in the use of rape and other forms of sexual violence as tools of war, terrorism, torture, and political repression.
She noted that documented cases in 2025 reached 9,788, describing the trend as “marked by extreme brutality” and overwhelmingly affecting women and girls.
According to the report titled Conflict-related sexual violence cases more than doubled in 2025, the figures represent only verified incidents and are likely far lower than the actual scale of abuse worldwide.
“The figures contained in this report should be understood not as the full picture, but as an indication of a much broader pattern of violations that remain largely unseen and underreported,” Patten said.
The report documented a wide range of abuses, including rape, gang rape, sexual slavery, forced marriage, trafficking, and abductions carried out by both state and non-state actors.
While women and girls remain the most affected, the UN also recorded cases involving men and boys, particularly in detention settings where sexual violence was allegedly used as a form of torture. LGBTQI+ individuals were also identified as being at heightened risk in conflict zones.
Victims ranged from children as young as one year old to adults aged 70, including persons with disabilities. The report also highlighted extreme brutality in some cases, including killings following rape and instances of suicide among survivors.
Patten said armed groups and criminal networks continue to weaponise sexual violence to assert control over territories and populations, especially in fragile and resource-rich regions.
The UN further warned that displacement, insecurity, and weak protection systems are increasing the vulnerability of women and girls, particularly in border and remote communities. It also noted that limited humanitarian access and funding shortages are hindering documentation efforts and survivor support services.
The organisation called on governments and the UN Security Council to strengthen prevention mechanisms, improve accountability, and expand survivor-centred support programmes.
Among its recommendations are unhindered humanitarian access, stronger monitoring and sanctions systems, deployment of women’s protection advisers in UN missions, enhanced investigations and prosecutions, and increased funding for medical, psychosocial, and legal assistance.
Patten urged global leaders to prioritise survivors rather than political considerations.
“These violations are neither isolated nor confined to a handful of contexts,” she said. “They are global in scale, devastating in impact, and demand a response centred on the rights, needs, and dignity of victims and survivors.”