Releasing the UN’s annual report on Friday, Special Representative Pramila Patten said the figures reflect a deepening global trend, with growing insecurity, displacement and increasingly limited resources for survivors fueling the crisis.
“In 2025, cases of sexual violence were documented as a tactic of war, torture, terrorism and political repression marked by extreme brutality and overwhelmingly directed at women and girls. increased dramatically,“he told reporters at UN headquarters.
The report verified 9,788 cases of conflict-related sexual violence during 2025; However, Ms. Patten emphasized that the figure does not reflect the brutal reality.
“The figures contained in this report should not be understood as the complete picture, but rather as an indication of a much broader pattern of violations that largely go unnoticed and underreported,” she said.
Civilians attacked
The report documents rape, gang rape, sexual slavery, forced marriage, trafficking and kidnapping committed by state and non-state actors in 21 conflict-affected countries.
Women and girls remained the main targets, although men and boys were also subjected to sexual violence, often in places of detention and as a form of torture. LGBTQI+ people also faced a higher risk of persecution and targeted harassment.
The victims ranged in age from one to 70 years old, according to the report, which also recorded cases involving people with disabilities.
Patten said the violence was often accompanied by extreme physical abuse, including murder following rape and incidents of suicide among survivors.
“At its core, this report is about the human suffering of all these survivors and communities living in the shadow of war,” she said.
Armed groups and access
The report noted that non-State armed groups, including organized criminal groups, continued to use sexual violence to exert control over communities and territory, including areas rich in natural resources.
Displaced and refugee women and girls faced increased risks, especially in remote and border areas where support networks had collapsed.
According to the findings, the widespread availability of small arms also continued to fuel sexual violence in multiple conflicts.
At the same time, restrictions on humanitarian access, insecurity and funding shortages made it more difficult to document abuses and help survivors.
Documented abusers added
The report’s annex lists 77 parties considered responsible for patterns of conflict-related sexual violence, including 62 non-state actors.
New additions include three non-state armed groups operating in the Democratic Republic of the Congo: the Wazalendo armed elements, the National Liberation Forces and the Mai-Mai du groupe armé de l’Union des patriotes pour la libération du Congo.
Two state actors were also recently included: the Russian armed and security forces and the Israeli armed and security forces. following findings of continuing patterns of sexual violence documented by the UN.
The two parties were “noticed for a possible listing in the next reporting period” last year.
Call to action
The report calls on the Security Council and Member States to strengthen prevention, accountability and support for survivors.
Recommendations include:
- ensure unimpeded humanitarian access,
- expand monitoring and sanctions mechanisms,
- support women’s protection advisors in UN missions,
- strengthen investigations and prosecutions, and
- increase funding for medical, psychosocial and legal services.
Ms Patten called for attention to be focused on survivors.
“These violations are not isolated or limited to a few contexts,” she said.
“They are global in scale, devastating in impact, and demand a response focused not on political posturing, selective outrage, or preconceived narratives, but on the rights, needs, and dignity of victims and survivors.”