The United Nations has issued a stark warning that conflict-related sexual violence surged globally in 2025, with nearly 10,000 verified cases recorded across 21 conflict-affected countries. Presenting the UN’s annual report at UN Headquarters, Pramila Patten stated that the world had witnessed a significant increase in the use of rape and other forms of sexual abuse as tools of war, terrorism, torture, and political repression.
Dramatic Increase in Documented Cases
“In 2025, documented cases of sexual violence as a tactic of war, torture, terrorism, and political repression, marked by extreme brutality and overwhelmingly targeting women and girls, increased dramatically,” Patten said. According to the report, a total of 9,788 cases were verified. However, the UN stressed that this figure reflects only documented incidents and is likely far below the true scale of abuse.
“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 explained. The report found that abuses included rape, gang rape, sexual slavery, forced marriage, trafficking, and abductions committed by both state and non-state actors.
Victims Across All Demographics
While women and girls remain the primary victims, the UN also documented cases involving men and boys, particularly in detention settings where such acts were allegedly used as a form of torture. The report further highlighted increased risks faced by LGBTQI+ individuals in conflict zones. Victims ranged from children as young as one year old to adults aged 70, including people living with disabilities.
The UN said many incidents involved extreme brutality, including killings following rape and suicides among survivors. “At its heart, this report is about the human suffering of all these survivors and communities living in the shadow of war,” Patten stated.
Role of Armed Groups and Criminal Networks
The report also pointed to the role of armed groups and criminal networks, stating that non-state actors continue to use sexual violence to exert control over territories and populations, particularly in fragile and resource-rich regions. According to the findings, displacement, insecurity, and weakened protection systems are increasing the vulnerability of women and girls, especially in border communities and remote areas.
The UN warned that restrictions on humanitarian access and funding shortages are making it more difficult to document abuses and provide support services to survivors. The organization is calling on governments and the United Nations Security Council to strengthen prevention efforts, improve accountability, and expand survivor-centered support programs.
Recommendations for Action
Among its recommendations are unhindered humanitarian access, stronger monitoring and sanctions mechanisms, support for women’s protection advisers in UN missions, enhanced investigations and prosecutions, and increased funding for medical, psychosocial, and legal services. Patten urged world leaders to focus on the needs of survivors rather than political considerations.
“These violations are neither isolated nor confined to a handful of contexts. They are global in scale, devastating in impact, and demand a response centered not on political posturing, selective outrage, or pre-conceived narratives, but on the rights, needs, and dignity of victims and survivors,” she said.
