Children Bear the Brunt of Sudan's Civil War: Unfolding Tragedies Revealed by UNICEF

A UNICEF report has documented alarming instances of sexual violence affecting hundreds of children in Sudan thanks to the ongoing civil war. As the conflict enters its third year, the plight of the youngest victims raises significant ethical and humanitarian concerns, warranting immediate attention from the global community.

A recent report from UNICEF reveals a chilling increase in the number of child victims of rape amid the ongoing civil war in Sudan, a conflict that has spiraled into a humanitarian crisis as it approaches its third year. The report revealed that armed groups have targeted children as young as one year old in their violent assaults, starkly highlighting the dire consequences of civil unrest on the most vulnerable populations.

According to health providers in Sudan, there have been 221 recorded cases of rape since the beginning of 2024, with the victims comprising 147 girls and 74 boys. Disturbingly, at least 16 of these children were younger than five, and four were only one year old. The gruesome details from the report describe harrowing accounts from survivors and witnesses, indicating that children have been specifically chosen by armed men, returned in states of severe physical distress, and in some cases, subjected to gang rape.

The consequences of sexual violence extend beyond immediate physical harm — victims have faced long-term challenges including serious injuries, psychological trauma, and even forced child marriage. The report also notes incidents where survivors have contracted HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, compounding their suffering.

While comprehensive data on sexual violence in Sudan is scarce, a 2024 U.N. fact-finding mission identified a disturbing prevalence of gender-based violence, including rape and sexual slavery, particularly in conflict zones. The war, which erupted in April 2023, has seen both the Sudanese military and the paramilitary group, the Rapid Support Forces, accused of crimes against humanity, with tens of thousands killed and over 11 million displaced.

The report attributes a large majority of the sexual violence cases to armed men identified as belonging to the Rapid Support Forces or their allies. Tess Ingram, a UNICEF spokeswoman and lead author of the report, shared her chilling experiences interviewing survivors, emphasizing the continued torment that victims face long after the violence ends.

Ingram noted that survivors are often left with the difficult choice of whether to disclose their experience to family or community members, risking social ostracism and stigma. “In Sudan, socially, it’s the survivors and not the perpetrators who carry that cultural burden of stigma and shame associated with rape,” she pointed out.

Some victims have found themselves pregnant as a result of the assaults, leading to even more complex decisions about the future of their children. The struggles of one particular survivor reflect this heartbreaking dilemma, as she chose to care for her baby alone, dissatisfied with the lack of shelter options for pregnant women. “Now, the baby’s 8 months old and still doesn’t have a home to live in,” Ingram lamented.

As Sudan's civil war continues with no end in sight, the stories of these children serve as a painful reminder of the far-reaching consequences of conflict and the pressing need for global awareness and action to protect civilians, particularly the most vulnerable among them.