Systemic Sexual Violence Against Children in DRC Demands Urgent Global Action

Sexual violence against children in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has reached alarming levels, with UNICEF reporting nearly 10,000 cases of rape and sexual violence in just January and February of this year. Of these, children are believed to make up almost 45 per cent, according to UNICEF spokesperson James Elder, who briefed journalists from Goma on 11 April 2025. He emphasized that this crisis is not a series of isolated incidents but a systemic and deliberate use of sexual violence as a weapon of war—particularly in areas where fighting between Rwanda-backed M23 rebels and Congolese government forces has intensified.

Elder described the situation as a “hidden epidemic” worsened by stigma and insecurity, which means many cases go unreported. “We are seeing survivors as young as toddlers,” he said. “A child was raped every half an hour.” He called on the international community to urgently step up prevention efforts and provide survivor-centred services.

The crisis is compounded by a severe funding shortfall. In one hospital Elder visited, 127 survivors of rape were unable to access basic medical treatment like PEP kits. UNICEF warns that if the gap in funding isn’t addressed, 250,000 children could be denied essential protection services in the next three months. The long-term implications are equally dire: in 2026, as many as 100,000 children could miss measles vaccinations, two million may not be screened for malnutrition, and nearly 500,000 might be left without clean water.

Elder urged global leaders not to turn away, stating: “The cost of inaction is not abstract. It is measured in preventable suffering and lost futures.”

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