Sexual Violence Against Babies In The DRC

A War On Children: Half Of Reported Sexual Violence Victims in Eastern DRC are Children, UNICEF Warns

By Marsh (Edi) Baptise

Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo – The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has issued a grave warning about the scale of sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), reporting that children accounted for up to 45 percent of nearly 10,000 documented cases in conflict zones during just the first two months of 2025.

The figures, collected in partnership with humanitarian organizations and local authorities, represent one of the most disturbing indicators yet of how profoundly the crisis in eastern Congo has worsened — and how devastatingly it continues to affect the country’s youngest and most vulnerable.

UNICEF describes the situation as a “war on children.” In provinces like North Kivu, South Kivu, and Ituri, children are being raped, assaulted, and exploited by members of armed groups, criminal networks, and in some cases, individuals from communities where law and order have broken down under the weight of violence and displacement.

While the DRC has long struggled with endemic sexual violence, the concentration of such attacks against children in 2025 marks a chilling escalation. Most victims are girls, many under the age of 15, and a growing number are under 10. Cases involving boys, often underreported due to cultural stigma, are also being recorded with increasing frequency.

UNICEF reports that many children were assaulted while fleeing violence or living in temporary displacement camps, where security is minimal and access to protective services is nearly nonexistent. Others were attacked within their communities, schools, or on their way to fetch water or food — essential daily tasks that have now become life-threatening.

Medical services across the region are overwhelmed. Some children must wait days or weeks to receive post-rape care, increasing the risk of infections, untreated injuries, unwanted pregnancies, and long-term psychological trauma. In many rural areas, there are no trained counselors or pediatric health professionals at all.

Eastern DRC has been embroiled in conflict for decades, with dozens of armed groups — some backed by neighboring states — vying for control over territory, minerals, and local populations. Civilians have frequently been used as tools of warfare, and sexual violence has become a widespread and systematic tactic used to terrorize communities and undermine resistance.

In this chaos, women and children are disproportionately targeted. Girls are often kidnapped or coerced into “marriage” with fighters. In some cases, they are released only to be rejected by their communities, adding social isolation to their trauma. Boys, too, may be subjected to sexual violence in silence — or recruited into militias where abuse continues under different names.

What distinguishes the current crisis, say humanitarian workers, is the sheer number and severity of cases involving children — and the near-total impunity for perpetrators.

Although Congolese law prohibits sexual violence and enshrines rights for children, enforcement remains weak. Courts are underfunded, survivors often lack access to legal support, and witnesses are frequently intimidated into silence. In many cases, local authorities are either unable or unwilling to confront perpetrators, especially when armed groups or powerful interests are involved.

UNICEF and partner agencies are calling for increased international support to fund emergency medical care, safe shelters, psychological treatment, and legal assistance for survivors. They also demand that the Congolese government work more aggressively to prosecute offenders and dismantle the networks that enable violence.

Sexual violence in conflict zones often goes unreported — particularly when the victims are children. Stigma, fear of retaliation, cultural taboos, and institutional neglect create a climate of silence that allows abuse to flourish in the shadows.

Humanitarian workers warn that the true number of child survivors is likely far higher than official estimates. Some children may never receive help, and their stories may never be heard.

Despite growing international awareness, the DRC continues to be one of the world’s most neglected humanitarian emergencies. The country’s immense size, fractured political system, and ongoing instability make intervention challenging, but experts say that failing to act will result in another generation destroyed by war and exploitation.