The Unthinkable Horror: Over 200 Children, Some Just One Year Old, Raped in Sudan — UNICEF Reveals Shocking Reality
The war in Sudan has reached unimaginable depths of brutality, with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) revealing that at least 221 children have been raped since the beginning of 2024. Among the survivors, heartbreakingly, some were as young as just one year old. According to a report published on Tuesday, these horrific acts were carried out by armed men, with gender-based violence service providers documenting the cases across the war-torn North African nation. The war, which erupted in April 2023 between the Sudanese military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, has left the country grappling with unspeakable atrocities, including the rampant use of sexual violence as a weapon of war.
Of the 221 documented cases, 66 percent of the survivors were girls, while the remaining victims were boys. Even more alarming, UNICEF identified 16 survivors below the age of five, including four toddlers barely a year old. The agency also recorded 77 additional cases of sexual assault against children, most of which involved attempted rape. These figures, though already devastating, are believed to be just a fraction of the true number of victims, as many survivors remain silent due to fear, stigma, and the looming threat of retribution from armed groups. The war’s brutal impact extends far beyond the battlefield, scarring the lives of the most vulnerable members of society.
The scale of violence in Sudan has been staggering. Since the conflict began in April 2023, at least 20,000 people have been killed — a number experts believe is grossly underestimated. Additionally, more than 14 million people have been driven from their homes, with parts of the country now teetering on the edge of famine. Children have been among the hardest hit by the violence, with an estimated 61,800 internally displaced, forced to navigate not only the trauma of war but also the constant threat of sexual violence. These children, some too young to even comprehend the horror they endured, now bear both physical injuries and deep psychological scars.
UNICEF’s Executive Director, Catherine Russell, did not mince words in the report, describing sexual violence, including rape, as a “tactic of war” deliberately used in violation of international laws designed to protect children. The cases of rape were reported across multiple states, including Gadarif, Kassala, Gezeira, Khartoum, River Nile, Northern State, South Kordofan, North Darfur, and West Darfur. In South Kordofan, the brutality was laid bare as a boy was raped at gunpoint, and several children, including a six-year-old, were sexually assaulted while picking fruit. These sickening crimes highlight the extent to which violence against children has become a calculated weapon in Sudan’s ongoing conflict.
Despite the horrors they have faced, many survivors remain silent. According to UNICEF spokesperson Tess Ingram, the social stigma surrounding sexual violence, coupled with limited access to crucial services, means the reported cases likely represent only “the tip of the iceberg.” Ingram, who visited Sudan in December, recounted meeting victims who had endured “horrors that no person would want to experience in their lifetime.” For these children, the trauma did not end with the assault — many grapple with ongoing physical pain, deep emotional wounds, and, tragically, some have attempted to take their own lives. The silence of the unreported cases hangs heavy, a painful reminder of the fear and shame imposed upon these innocent victims.
UNICEF has issued a desperate plea to the Sudanese government and all parties involved in the conflict, urging them to uphold their obligations to protect civilians — especially children. They also stressed the importance of safeguarding those providing services to survivors. Catherine Russell’s words echo the world’s collective outrage: “Children as young as one being raped by armed men should shock anyone to their core and compel immediate action.” But will the world listen? As the war rages on and the violence continues, the question remains: how many more innocent children must suffer before the world finally takes a stand?
