A recent report from Save the Children reveals a sharp rise in sexual violence targeting women and children in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with 2,702 survivors receiving assistance between January and July 2025, which is more than four times the figure for the same period last year. The country’s health ministry corroborates this upward trend, estimating approximately 73,400 total cases during that period, with almost one-third involving girls under 16. Humanitarian aid reductions have compounded the crisis, restricting access to resources like hygiene supplies. This surge is largely attributed to the intensifying conflict between government forces and the M23 rebel group, which has turned sexual violence into a deliberate tactic of terror and warfare.
Compiled From: Monika Pronczuk, “DRC: Dramatic Spike in Sexual Violence Amid Escalating Conflict,” AP News, Sep. 4, 2025.