This surge comes against the backdrop of an escalating conflict in eastern DRC, where renewed fighting has triggered mass displacement, eroded protection systems and worsened an already grave humanitarian crisis – putting children at increased risk of abuse, exploitation and lasting trauma.
UNICEF has called repeatedly for an immediate cessation of hostilities and unhindered humanitarian access, emphasizing that conflict-driven displacement and poverty fuel violence against children across the country.
“Hidden scars”
THE report,The hidden scars of conflict and silence, documents cases in every province, highlighting that the crisis extends far beyond the active front lines. The highest figures are recorded in the conflict-affected eastern provinces – notably North Kivu, South Kivu and Ituri – where insecurity, displacement and weak protection services leave children extremely vulnerable.
Significant figures are also reported in Kinshasa and the Kasai regions, where poverty, food insecurity and school dropout rates increase exposure to exploitation, early marriage and abuse.
National figures compiled by child protection and gender-based violence providers show that more than 35,000 cases of sexual violence against children were recorded in the first nine months of 2025 alone. In 2024, almost 45,000 cases were documented – almost three times more than in 2022 – representing almost 40% of all cases of sexual violence reported in the country.
UNICEF warns that the real toll is likely much higher, as fear, stigma, insecurity and limited access to services prevent many survivors from reporting abuse.
Resilience must shape the response
The report centers survivors’ testimonies and data, emphasizing that each statistic represents a child whose life has been profoundly altered by violence.
Survivors describe shame, isolation and fractured self-esteem, while also expressing their determination to regain dignity and hope. Their testimonies, collected by social workers in several provinces, illustrate both the scale of the crisis and the resilience of those affected – a resilience that UNICEF says must shape the response.
“Social workers describe mothers walking for hours to clinics with daughters who can no longer walk after being assaulted” said Catherine Russell, Executive Director of UNICEF. “Families say fear of stigma and retaliation often prevents them from reporting abuse. Stories like these are repeated across provinces, revealing a deep-rooted crisis fueled by insecurity, inequality and weak support systems.”
Adolescent girls account for the largest and fastest share of reported cases, although boys are also victims of sexual violence and remain significantly underrepresented due to stigma and underreporting. Children with disabilities face increased risks as physical, social and communication barriers increase vulnerability and restrict access to care and justice.
Children express themselves
The scale of the crisis is increasingly reflected in the words of children.
“My role is not in armed conflict,” wrote a child from the DRC in a message to world leaders across the Prove It Matters campaignled by the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and armed conflict.
As 2025 draws to a close, UN Special Representative Vanessa Frazier warned that children in the DRC and other conflict contexts face extreme levels of abuse throughout the year.
She pointed out that 2024 was already the worst year on record since the mandate was created almost 30 years ago, warning that such harm must not become the new normal. In her statement, she cited the DRC, alongside Gaza, Haiti, Myanmar, Nigeria, Somalia, Sudan and Ukraine, as contexts where children continued to experience “appalling levels of grave violations in 2025.”
“We cannot change 2025”
“We cannot change the year 2025, but we can act and be resolute to change the situation for children affected by armed conflict in 2026,” Ms. Frazier said.
She called on leaders to listen to children, respect international law, end violations, release children associated with armed groups and strengthen funding for child protection, justice and long-term recovery.
Funding cuts add to risk
Although UNICEF and its partners expanded their assistance between 2022 and 2024 – reaching more than 24,200 children in the worst-affected provinces last year – insecurity and global budget cuts have forced many safe spaces, mobile clinics and community protection programs to scale back or close.
By mid-2025, only 23 percent of gender-based violence interventions were funded, compared to 48 percent in 2022, putting hundreds of thousands of children at risk of losing essential services, including an estimated 300,000 children in conflict zones in the east.
“A protected child is a secure future,” another conflict-affected child told world leaders as part of the Prove It Matters campaign.
Originally published at Almouwatin.com
